Redemption Beast
by Cosmos10
Summary: Zoro had never considered that he would be anything more than a thug for the rest of his life, when a know-it-all Kitsune suddenly decides he needs to learn some life lessons by turning him into a dog. It seems he'll never be able to break the curse until he meets Luffy, a lonely teen in need of his help. Will Luffy's friendship be enough to return Zoro to his human self?
1. Chapter 1: The Kitsune

Hey guys, **Cosmos10** here! So this is my very first fanfic to ever publish so I have a few things to say. First of all I want to get the very important disclaimers out of the way. As I'm sure you all know I do not own One Piece or any of its characters, obvious. I would also like to give **Sho-A0YCupid** the credit she deserves since this story is heavily based on her story, **Loyal. Sho-A0YCupid** is the one that came up with the original idea of Zoro turning into a dog in a gang riddled city and becoming friends with Luffy. If any of you have read Loyal you will likely see many scenes and dialogue that are very similar, however I did try to make the story my own with my own writing style and plot. If you haven't read Loyal and you're interested in romance and drama, I recommend giving it a read.

These first few chapters will be most similar to Loyal, but I promise the point of my story is very different and will diverge. My story will also be quite a bit longer as I totally want to stuff as many One piece characters into this AU as possible. It is not yet complete, but I do have the end in sight and if this story is well received then I will keep posting chapters.

Well, that's all I have to say for now. Thanks you all for trying my story out and I hope you enjoy it.

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Chapter 1: The Kitsune

It was one of those dry, windy nights when Zoro liked to stand outside on the hill above his apartment complex and watch the trees wiping back and forth while the moon shone brightly over the city. It was his favorite spot to just sit and meditate. In the daytime when the sun was high he would sit in the lee of an old abandoned shrine that sat covered in moss and nearly hidden by shrubbery, the symbol of a nine-tailed fox barely visible on the crumbling archway above it. At night trash and debris skittered down the streets and alleys below him and the street lamps, few and far between, flickered as small tornadoes of leaf litter and dust swirled around them. The hill was also high enough that he could almost see the whole city, stretching across a wide, lush valley surrounded by mountains and high plateaus.

It was a large city, even streetwise Zoro had never been to its farthest reaches. It was so large that it had to be broken up into districts so the local authorities could manage it with some semblance of efficiency. The higher-class districts had lower numbers. You'd be considered rich and fancy if you lived or worked anywhere within one or five. These districts lay to the north of the city on the distant mountain sides and plateaus and were partitioned off from the rest of the city by a massive, twenty-five-meter wall. You had to meet certain standards to get through the gates so Zoro had never been there before. The lights from these districts were the brightest, shining boastfully across the city valley. Neon sighs flashed and high-rise towers and mansions glittered from their perches, looming over the rest of the city.

Then there were the middle class, an area more to the south of the city ranging from six to ten. People could live modest lives there and enjoy relative safety from vagrants. There was even farming lands closer to the outskirts of the Southern City, and it was where most of the higher districts got their produce from. This portion was also partitioned by a wall, but it was only ten meters tall and was more for show of status than retention.

Zoro had only been to the mid-districts once or twice, his home territory lay in the lower-class districts all the way to district twenty-nine. He knew these streets like the back of his hand, every alleyway, every hidden nook. Since the lower-class districts made up the major area of the city, it gave Zoro a massive range for wandering.

To maintain the standards of the other two classes' districts, the third-class districts were for the most part ignored by the city authorities and left to fend for themselves. Gangs controlled the streets and crime was an everyday, every hour occurrence. It had gotten so bad in recent years that the crime had started to seep into the more respectable districts. The higher up couldn't allow that, and were only now starting to turn their attention to filtering out the more dangerous gang groups.

This was fine by Zoro. As an independent, he was hard to pin down and fewer competitors from other gangs meant he had more freedom to roam unhindered. He'd even taken the time to offer gangs he had defeated to the authorities now and again, just to get them off his streets. He took any chance he could to fight punks who thought they could take him. Both for the fun of a good challenge, and for the pleasure of seeing them crash and burn when he was finished with them.

That was the reason he was he was here now, high above the streets atop the highest hill in the twenty-fourth district. People sometimes liked to choose special places for their fights, and Zoro figured, why not here on his favorite hill.

He barely noticed the sound of feet trekking clumsily up the steep gravel trail behind him over the howling wind, but he knew who it was before he even turned around. He gripped the hilt of one of his three swords strapped to his right hip.

"So you did show up," a nasally voice sneered. Zoro turned to face the four leather-clad men with a frown of indifference, glancing at their brass knuckles and iron clubs, unimpressed.

To anyone else they would have looked more threatening than him, with their pumped-up muscles and spiked studs adorning every inch of their clothing. Zoro himself was still only nineteen, tall and lanky despite his impressive physique. He had an older face though, with stern black eyes and a scowl that betrayed his years of fighting to survive in the city's unforgiving streets. His unevenly cropped hair was bright green, but colorful hair wasn't uncommon these days. Flashes of vibrant red, purple, blue and orange were hardly something to turn and stare at anymore. He didn't bother with all the leather most thugs wore either, finding it too heavy and restricting. He preferred comfortable t-shirts, black sweatpants, and sturdy leather boots. The only thing suggesting he wasn't a common civilian were three gold, teardrop-shaped earrings hanging from his left earlobe, and three very deadly looking swords strapped to his right hip.

Sure, guns, clubs, switchblades and good old fashioned fists may be enough to impress most weaklings, but Zoro's three blade style was what put him that extra notch higher than the majority. It also made him a popular challenge among the more daring gangs and thugs. None of them presented much of a challenge for him though, but that hardly stopped the idiots from trying anyway much to Zoro's chagrin.

Zoro tapped his fingers on the hilts of his swords leisurely, expecting no different from this group of sweaty thugs. "You said you had a proper fight for me," he yawned lazily. "I've been a bit board lately so I thought I'd take you up on your offer."

"As if you could take on all four of us at once!" the nasally voiced thug snorted in disgust.

"What a disappointment," Zoro sighed, ignoring the man's indignant growl. "This isn't even going to kill five minutes."

All four men lunged at once, snarling and jeering with their fists and weapons held high. Zoro drew his white sword in a flash and cut down two of them before they could even get near him. The other two pushed him back and he deflected their blows as one swung a massive club at his head and the other jabbed at him with a long, glinting knife. Zoro easily dodged their attacks and sent one man tumbling headlong into the shrine statue while the other got a blade to the gut. Their groans of pain and surprise moaned with the angry wind as Zoro deftly flicked the blood off his blade and returned it to its sheath. He stepped over the four bodies with a snort of indifference. It was a shame really, he had been enjoying the wind storm, the electricity in the air always filled him with such exhilaration and the wind was cool and refreshing. The gang just had to go and ruin a perfectly stormy night.

Zoro sighed in disappointment once again and started to head down the gravel path towards the street again when he found his way blocked by a strange, glowing creature. It looked like a fox with nine tails, but it was bigger than any fox Zoro had ever seen, easily the same size as a grown man, and its red fur glowed with an ethereal light that seemed to flicker like flames.

"What the- is that a Kitsune?" Zoro halted in his tracks. He had heard of the creatures from common folklore and myths, he wasn't completely uncultured even if it he was indifferent to societal norms. Shrines and temples dedicated to similar creatures were found throughout the city's parks and outskirts, though most were generally forgotten these days. Zoro himself had certainly never believed in such spirits so as he stared at the ethereal fox before him he was starting to question his sanity.

The nine-tailed creature tilted its head the way a dog does when it's confused and Zoro took a step back. It cast him a baleful frown before turning to the four unconscious bodies, then at the shrine statue. _"So it's finally come to this, has it?"_ a deep and rumbly voice reverberated inside Zoro's skull and he flinched unconsciously.

"Y-you can talk?" he stammered in surprise.

The fox looked back at him, scowling. _"I had been under the assumption that someone so in-tune with the earth's energy would show a bit more respect for its spirits"_

Zoro frowned in confusion, growing nervous though he wouldn't admit it. "What are you talking about?"

The fox rolled its eyes. _"I see you up here almost every day, sitting there with your fingers pressed together like some monk. Tell me, Roronoa Zoro, are you actually tuning in to the earth's energy, or is it just an excuse to nap?"_ the fox huffed quietly.

It took a second for Zoro to finally realize what the fox was talking about. It was true that this hill was Zoro's favorite place to sit and meditate. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, not even himself really, but sometimes the things he saw on the streets got to him. Meditating cleared his mind somewhat and let him get back to nature. Whoever this fox was had clearly been watching him, but why?

"Listen… Kitsune, I don't know what you want from me, but why I meditate up here is none of your business," Zoro grumbled, irritated with the Kitsune' presumptuous rambling despite his uncertainty of its intentions. The Kitsune simply stared at Zoro through unconcerned, half-lidded eyes for a moment before turning to the carnage behind the green-haired teen.

" _I supposed the fact that you not only destroyed my personal property but also left these clearly outclassed young men to die on my doorstep is also none of my business?"_

"Huh?" Zoro turned and glanced at the four fallen men in confusion, finally realizing that the fox was referring to the shrine they had destroyed in their fight.

"You mean these punks?" Zoro scoffed, only slightly guilty at the realization that he might have gone a bit overboard. "They were the ones that asked me for a fight, it's not my fault they bit off more than they could chew."

The fox did not seem convinced. " _You've been alone for a long time, Roronoa Zoro, and I think all that time has left you incapable of seeing what your truly capable of,_ " it said gently after a moment of silence.

"What I'm capable of?" Zoro muttered, confused.

" _Your destiny, your purpose, the reason you're alive, the gifts you have to offer the world_ ," the fox clarified.

Zoro scoffed, truly offended this time. "What would you know about my true purpose? You don't know who I am or what I go through every day. I'm the only one who has the right to choose what my _true_ purpose is!"

" _So, your destiny is to wander the streets of this city alone for the rest of your life, beating down those weaker and dumber than you until you become the strongest man to ever wield a sword?_ " The fox rolled its eyes, shaking its head in disappointment.

"I don't believe in destiny," Zoro spat, "Whatever comes, comes. I'll face it on my own and become stronger for it. That's all that matters."

The fox, released a sad sigh, staring at Zoro for a second pensively. When it did speak again, it's voice was low and soft, as if in pity. "… _So naive, but I suppose that is to be expected of someone who's been alone for so long. However,_ " the creature's eyes glowed suddenly, a stern coldness in its voice making Zoro shiver, _"I think it's time you learned a lesson on what your true purpose is, whether you believe in it or not._ "

A circle of fire suddenly appeared around Zoro and he gasped in surprise as he realized he couldn't move his body. "What is this!?" he shouted, trying to hide the growing panic in his voice.

" _Baptism by fire, Zoro, you either learn what your true destiny is or you suffer for the rest of your life. It's that simple,_ " the fox sniffed, lifting its nose snobbishly. _"And…_ _You woke me up in the middle of the night and destroyed a perfect statue of me, so I'm a bit miffed at you right now."_

"W-what!?" Zoro stammered, more confused than ever. He grunted in startled pain as the fire that surrounded him suddenly grew in intensity and heat until he was completely engulfed. He screamed, wriggling against his bonds of flame, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't move. His head felt like it was splitting in two and his chest was burning, seemingly from the inside-out. He couldn't bend to see what was happening to him but he felt his whole body start to painfully shift and contort in ways he was pretty sure it wasn't supposed to. It wasn't long until the pain and the strong pounding in his head made him fall forward, hearing his own screams die down as he slipped into blackness.

" _Now you listen carefully, Zoro,_ " the fox's voice rumbled calmly, barely within the reaches of Zoro's quickly fading consciousness. _"The only way to get out of the curse is to sacrifice yourself for someone you care about. However, if you can't figure out what that has to do with your purpose in life then, well, see you in the spirit world. Oh, by the way, if you do care to find me, the name is Kyubi…_ "

* * *

Zoro groaned as he felt his eyes crack open. Bright sun in his eyes made him squint in discomfort at the same time he realized he was lying on a cold, hard surface. He finally opened his eyes to see that he was lying on the bedroom floor in his own apartment. He was too sore and exhausted to try and turn his head to look at the alarm clock by his bed but judging by the sun just peeking over the window sill it was still early morning. After some deep breaths, he finally tried to get up, slightly dizzy and feeling that there was something seriously wrong with him, though he wasn't exactly sure what just yet. His vision finally cleared somewhat and he looked down at himself to assess the damage. He felt his heart skip a beat when he saw paws where his arms were supposed to be.

"What-!?" he gasped, his jaw moving oddly and his voice coming out in a strange guttural yelp. "I'm a dog!?".

After several shaky attempts, he managed to get up onto his four padded feet and limp carefully towards the mirror across from his bed to look at himself. He almost jumped in surprise when he saw the biggest dog he had ever seen staring back at him with wide, black eyes. He was easily taller than a Great Dane, with long, thick legs and a thickly muscled body and head. His fur was wolf-like, thick and course, with silver and black markings across his shoulders and belly. Most unusual was the yellowish-grey fur along the top of his back and head. His head was muscular with a long wolfish snout and upright ears, and his tail was slightly curled and bushy, even more so now due to his own alarm and surprise at his current situation. The only thing he wore that had been on his person the night before, were his three golden earrings, now so heavy on his large left ear that it was flopped to the side.

"This is just wrong!" he growled. "I'm gon'a rip the tails off that damned Kitsune!" He looked at himself again. "I can't fight like this. How the heck am I supposed to turn back into myself?"

He suddenly remembered the fox's last words before Zoro fell unconscious. "Right," Zoro sighed, "to turn back into a human, I have to sacrifice myself for someone I care about? As if! I haven't cared about anyone since-" He paused in his thinking before the name had a chance to come to his mind. With a growl, he shook his head and turned away from the reflection in the mirror, not wanting to see the creature he had become any longer.

It was moments like these that he wanted to go find some pathetic, lowlife street gang to harass and get his mind off things. Zoro suddenly realized he had no idea where his swords were. With a growl he turned circles, looking around the room for any sign of his precious weapons. Two of them were prizes he had won off of opponents over the years. He could replace those easily if he could find someone with enough skill and practice to be worthy of the fight. The third, however, his white sword that he called Ichimonji, was irreplaceable, a gift from someone in his childhood, or rather, an inheritance. If that fox had somehow caused him to lose Ichimonji, it was in for a lot more trouble than a silly broken statue.

Zoro eyes only had to scan the room for a moment before he spotted his three swords, lying faithfully in their velvet lined box on his dresser where he always put them. Zoro stood up and pressed his front paws against the dresser to inspect each one carefully, taking in their suddenly very strong but comfortingly familiar individual smells. They were fine, in perfect condition as always. The blood had even been cleaned off Ichimonji's blade after the fight the night before.

Content that his swords were safe, Zoro got down off the dresser and began to inspect his new body's abilities. He hadn't realized until now, but all his senses seemed extremely heightened. He could hear the sounds of cars doors slamming from blocks away, people talking in the streets below, and feet crunching on the gravel paths in the hills behind the apartments. He could smell things stronger too, the scent of cigarette smoke off the street, of chip crumbs under his bed, and stale coffee in the kitchen. His vision was different though. He wasn't completely color blind the way people always say dogs are, but colors were muted and he struggled to differentiate reds and greens. He realized that the strange yellowish-grey color on his back and head was likely actually green when he saw that his normally green bedspread was a similar color. That wasn't surprising considering it had been his hair color as a human too.

Zoro, sat for what must have been at least an hour, taking in details he had never noticed about his own home. Not that it was much of a home. He had lived in this small one-roomed apartment for four years already but he rarely spent any time in it aside from eating and sleeping. After a while however, more pressing matters came to the forefront of his mind.

What was he to do now? He couldn't go out into the streets looking like this. Not that anyone would recognize him, but he wasn't exactly harmless in appearance and he wasn't altogether comfortable with the idea of getting chased around by dogcatchers and hostile gangs. He couldn't stay here forever, though. He had some food in his cupboards, and he might still have a bit of pizza left in his fridge, but that wouldn't last long, and it wasn't like he could cook up rice or oatmeal on the stove with his paws. He would have to leave to find food at some point.

Then there was the issue of security. Gangs and thugs ran rampant in the streets these days and would think nothing of breaking into an unlocked apartment and stealing Zoro's things. Not that there was much to steal but Zoro knew he at least had to hide his swords, they wouldn't do him any good as a dog anyway. Operating a lock and key wasn't exactly feasible with paws either unfortunately, so Zoro knew that once he left his apartment unattended, there would be no going back, not until he got that fox to return him to normal anyway.

That left only one option, Zoro realized, he had to go back to that shrine and get the fox to turn him back into a human.

"Sacrifice myself for a loved one? As if. I'm going to make that fox regret ever crossing paths with me."

* * *

After carefully hiding his swords under a lose floorboard under his bed (with great difficulty due to his lack of opposable thumbs) Zoro managed to get the apartment door open and scuttle out of the building without being seen. He headed straight for the gravel trails behind the building and found the hill where he had fought the gang the night before. To his horror, the shrine was not there.

"What the Hell!" Zoro barked, sniffing around the spot where the shrine had once stood. There wasn't even a trace of the stone pedestal and statue, even the shrubbery that had surrounded it was gone as if it had never been. Zoro wondered briefly if it as the wrong hill, but he could smell the stench of the gang guys' blood in the grass where they had fallen the night before and knew he was definitely in the right place.

"Damn fox! Where are you?" Zoro remembered the fox's final words just before he had blacked out, "Kyubi! Show yourself Kyubi, you mangy animal!"

"Who are you calling a mangy animal?"the same smooth, deep voice from the night before suddenly rumbled from behind him, only this time the voice wasn't inside Zoro's mind. Zoro spun around, his claws scraping in the dirt as he came to face the glowing fox spirit now in his full nine-tailed form.

Zoro bared his teeth threateningly. "Turn me back."

"I have already told you the conditions of the curse, so unless you want me to give you someone's number, I happen to know some very foxy ladies, I'm afraid I can't help you."

"Cut the crap!" Zoro barked, lunging for the fox only to pass right through him. Zoro spun around to face the fox again to see it staring at him over its shoulder with an unimpressed frown.

"You know, Roronoa, I've had some time to nap a bit longer and think about last night. If you had come here to beg for forgiveness and ask politely for me to turn you back, I might actually have considered it." The fox's eyes suddenly glowed angrily and Zoro was thrown back by a ball of flames, sending him sliding towards the steep hillside. "But since you showed up and so rudely started insulting me and even tried to attack me, I can only suggest that you find a good butcher shop because you're going to be begging for bones to survive for the rest of your life."

The fox glowed brightly and began to disappear. "Bastard! Get back here!" Zoro snarled, scrambling to his feet, but he was too late. Zoro stood panting, his legs splayed out beneath him as he came to grips with his situation. There was nothing to be done now. He had blown it. He was doomed to be a dog for the rest of his life.


	2. Chapter 2: Zoro the Street Mutt

Hey guys, this is one of those chapters that is supper similar to Sho-A0YCupids story, Loyal.

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Chapter 2: Zoro the Street Mutt

It had been nearly a month since Zoro had been turned into a dog and things were looking grim. Not just for him, though he could have been doing better, but for the city itself. While crime had always been an issue in this particular area of the city, it seemed to have risen to dangerous levels in the past few weeks much to everyone's alarm.

"Get off me!" a stud-nosed teen snarled, as he was shoved into the wall by another equally punked-up thug. The two teens were unaware of the large dog watching from the shadows of their dark alley.

"Or what?" the second thug jeered, wrapping his hands into the first's shirt front aggressively.

"You're not even supposed to be in this district!" the first choked, looking alarmed now. "You haven't been allowed here since Roronoa Zoro kicked you out five months ago!"

Zoro's ears tilted towards the boys to listen from the shadows of a garbage dumpster further into the alley.

"Haven't you heard?" the second teen laughed, drawing a knife out of his belt and pressing it to his victim's throat. "Roronoa Zoro's not around anymore, so I'm here to collect what you owe me."

A low rumble resounded deep in Zoro's chest, reverberating down the narrow alleyway until the two boys turned in alarm. Zoro bound out of the shadows, his white teeth flashing as he snatched the second teen's arm before either of them could react. The thug screamed, dropping his knife and sending his victim scrambling for cover as Zoro forced him onto his back, shaking the teen's arm in his jaws until he felt something snap. Satisfied that they had been well and truly scared out of their wits, Zoro leapt back and allowed the two teens to stumble mindlessly out of the alley, snapping at their heels for good measure. The teens disappeared into the light of the street beyond and Zoro lost sight of them, but he didn't care. That was the last time either of them would dare suggest that Roronoa Zoro wasn't around to defend his turf anymore, he was sure.

Zoro sighed despite his satisfaction, however, aware of the fact that there was no way they would assume he, a dog, had anything to do with Roronoa Zoro the demon swordsman. It felt good to sink his teeth into something though, Zoro had been itching for a fight.

He had been wandering the streets ever since his failed attempt to get the fox to change him back. As expected, he had returned to his apartment to find it completely ransacked. His swords were safe though, so Zoro took to the streets.

It had been a struggle just getting used to how his new body worked at first. All the sights and smells and even the vibrations in the air tickling his whiskers were disorienting and strange even though he'd lived in these streets since childhood. He hadn't had much trouble keeping aggressors away, most were too scared to go near him, and the few people that tried to harass him were easy enough to overpower. Zoro was pleased at how strong he was despite his new body, with his jaws alone he found he could easily snap someone's neck with a strong bite and a quick jerk if he needed to. He missed his swords desperately, but his teeth were a decent replacement.

Shelter was relatively easy to find under eaves and bushes, so that wasn't Zoro's most pressing concern living on the streets. What he really lacked was food. Good food was rare enough in this part of the city, but finding edible food to scavenge off the streets was even harder. Zoro wasn't above stealing food from shops and inattentive civilians if it came to it, but he still struggled to find enough. It didn't help that he had always burned through calories like an Olympic athlete. After a month, he had gotten quite thin, and he could feel his muscles starting to deteriorate from lack of sustenance.

The dog gritted his sharp teeth irately as his stomach roared. Abandoning the dumpster he had been rummaging in before the two thugs showed up, Zoro continued on, emerging out of the alley into a nearly empty street. He spotted a news stand across the road from him and read the latest headline.

'Gang Crime Rising! Northern City in Danger of Lockdown!'

Zoro huffed as he trotted past the stand, sending the few people on the sidewalk skirting away in fear. Almost unconsciously, he started heading towards the park, following the scent of hotdogs and sandwiches. The park was where he often went to scrounge for food, people often left food scraps lying around when they were picnicking or just too lazy to find a trash can. It was still trash and Zoro had had to build up a lot of willpower to stomach it, but it was food and he had to keep his strength up.

When he found nothing that resembled food, Zoro trudged along the path that circled around the park, watching people. He must have circled the park three or four times before he finally felt too tired to move on. The sun was getting high in the sky at this point and the late summer air was still hot and stifling, especially with such a thick fur coat. Zoro found a shaded spot under some bushes to rest in and had just laid his head on his paws with an exhausted sigh when he heard a familiar, whiny voice.

"There you are!"

Zoro turned and saw a man in a uniform standing over him with a large catchpole poised in his hands.

Zoro moaned, "Not this guy again…" He glared up at the young, homely man, with the blond bowl cut and a pasty, pale complexion.

"Don't move, mongrel!"

"As if…" Zoro sighed in irritation at his interrupted nap and leapt from his hiding spot just as the catchpole slammed into the ground right where he'd been lying. Zoro darted across the field, aware of the dogcatcher quickly recovering his pole and dashing after him.

"Stop!" the dogcatcher panted, easily outpaced by Zoro who crossed the street at a leisure trot, scattering pedestrians as he went. He headed for an alleyway and turned into it to find his path blocked by what appeared to be a group of teens in the middle of a brawl.

It only took a second for Zoro to pick out the one who was being targeted, and he couldn't help but slow in surprise at what he was seeing. Amidst the group of five or six brawny guys with spiked-up hair and studded leather jackets, was a scrawny boy. Despite the older boys' larger size, the kid was holding his own with impressive punches and acrobatic maneuvers, twisting out of the way of punches and leaping over heads as if he was made of rubber. As they struggled to restrain the weasly kid, the older teens were also passing a battered straw hat around, trying to keep it out of the boy's reach. This seemed to anger the boy more and more as he continued to thrash and punch his way after the hat.

"Give Hat back! You Jerks!" the boy shouted, jumping to snatch the straw hat from one of the teens who quickly tossing the hat towards one of his friends. The teens chuckled teasingly as they dodged another slew of attacks from the boy.

Zoro grumbled in irritation. The fight had nothing to do with him, but the guys were in his way and he could hear the dog-catcher shouting as he struggled to catch up.

With a loud bark and a snarl Zoro lunged and the teens looked up in alarm. He jumped at the teen currently holding the hat, scaring him and sending the hat flying. The other boys jumped away, allowing Zoro to clamber nimbly over them and continue galloping down the alley and out of sight around the corner.

Zoro could hear the teens still screaming as he dashed down the street, but when a quick glance didn't reveal the dogcatcher chasing after him, he slowed to a steady trot and turned down a nearby alley.

Having successfully escaped at last, Zoro finally slowed to a walk and found a dark corner between two trash bins to rest in. He laid down with a 'fwump', ignoring the gnawing aches in his stomach as he closed his eyes. Once again, his nap was almost immediately interrupted as Zoro heard someone approaching quietly from the alley entrance.

"There you are!" a familiar voice called out. Zoro opened one eye and saw the young teen who the gang of boys were teasing earlier, his precious straw hat now safe on his head.

Zoro lifted his head as he finally got a good look at the boy's face. He had black tousled hair, wide dark brown eyes, a small scar under his left eye, and a lithe body. Earlier, Zoro had thought he seemed like he could be maybe thirteen or fourteen due to his boyish face and size, but now that he got a good look at him he could have passed for sixteen or seventeen. For a moment, Zoro thought he looked familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere before today, perhaps around town, though he didn't look like any of the usual gang kids that hung out around these streets.

The young teen stepped towards the resting dog and Zoro tensed, unsure of his intensions.

"Take it easy," the kid chuckled, lifting his hands in surrender. "I just want to thank you for what you did back there." He sat down and pulled his blue backpack forward, dug inside it for a moment and finally drew out what looked like a ham sandwich. "I was saving this for later, but you deserve it." He unwrapped the plastic wrapper, set the sandwich down in front of the dog, and got up to leave. "Take care, buddy," he said as he left, seeming to pause for a moment to look both ways so that he wasn't seen before retreating out into the streets once more.

Zoro's mouth watered as the scent of the sandwich filled his sensitive nostrils. It was strange to think that after all this time he'd be saved from starvation by some random guy he had no intention of helping. He didn't dwell on it long as he chowed down on the sandwich. It didn't fill him completely but he felt better, the gnawing pains in his stomach finally receding into a tolerable craving. He settled back into his nap, resting his heavy head on his grubby paws uninterrupted at last and dreamed of tearing the fox-spirit to shreds.

* * *

Despite the boy's food offering, it wasn't long before Zoro was suffering from lack of food again. He hadn't had a decent meal since the sandwich the boy had given him and he was starting to feel the effects more and more as the days went by. His rumbling stomach scared more people than his appearance as he walked around the city for something, anything to eat. What he would have turned up his nose to even days before was now the only thing keeping him alive.

To add to his growing pile of woes, the glorious warm, sunny, weather had finally relented as the first few days of fall arrived with rain and cold. Zoro found himself cursing his earlier complaints about the hot weather, at least there had been plenty of places to escape the heat. Now as the cold, wet rain pelted him continuously there was nowhere to escape the wet. Even his thick, multi-layered coat wasn't enough to prevent him getting soaked down to the skin, making him extremely uncomfortable and cold. It was a struggle to find warm, dry places to sleep at night and he was exhausted from shivering constantly.

As if his starvation and cold weren't bad enough, the same dogcatcher as before was surprisingly relentless, chasing him often for blocks at a time and scouring the city for him. Zoro was apparently a prize to all the dogcatchers in the city since he was so elusive, but this one, known as Helmeppo according to his name tag, was particularly determined to catch him.

Zoro didn't have the energy to be running from stupid bowl-cut idiots anymore. He was nearing the point where either he ate something or he would be too weak to move at all very soon.

After only a short break in the rain, the dark storm clouds gathered overhead once more and started to drizzle. Soon there were rivulets of water streaming down Zoro's snout and off the tips of his drooped ears. The drizzle quickly turned into a downpour and within moments Zoro was soaked to the skin, shivering from the cold.

Zoro could hear cries of alarm and displeasure on the streets as everyone without rain protection quickly ran to find shelter from the rain. Soon the only sounds of human life were the cars puttering down the abandoned streets.

Not that people went out into the streets much these days anyway. Few people were willing to risk venturing out alone for fear of getting mugged. Zoro had seen more crime in the past week than he had in a year as a human. He recalled the days when the very sight of his human form sent most muggers running, now, he was generally disregarded as nothing more than a mutt and he was growing tired of it. He almost found himself missing the look of fearful recognition he used to get as the Demon Swordsman Roronoa Zoro.

Zoro wasn't surprised, therefore, when he heard a yelp of alarm at the other end of the alley he was in.

"Get off me!"

Zoro's ears perked up in surprise. He recognized that voice! The boy with the hat from before.

"Shut up, just give me your money!" a husky voice growled, sounding low and threatening. "Hurry up, kid, I mean it!"

"I don't have any! Let go of me!" There was a loud 'thump!' and a grunt of pain.

"Why you little-!" The sounds of struggling ensued and Zoro thought he could hear the gruff man grunting in pain as much as the boy. A cry of alarm from the boy prompted Zoro to stagger to his feet, his heart racing in concern. He was surprised that he was concerned at all, but he owed this guy, therefore it was a personal matter.

The dark alley with the thick rain made it difficult to see what was going on, and his own fatigue and hunger were debilitating, but Zoro could sense from the rising alarm of the teen's voice that he was in trouble. He didn't have much energy to assist the boy with, but he did have an imposing appearance and a deep growl. He made it low and loud enough to hear, standing up as tall as he could on his four feet and letting his hackles rise threateningly. When the threat seemed to have no effect and he heard the boy give a muffled whimper, he realized he'd have to intervene. With a loud bark and a snarl, Zoro lunged blindly.

Zoro saw the man's shape more clearly as he drew nearer and charged towards it, ramming headlong into him.

"Wha-gaaah!" The man shouted in alarm and immediately released his hold on the boy's throat, turning his attention to the monster dog instead. Zoro saw the glint of a knife out of the corner of his eye and he snapped with his teeth, gripping the man's knife arm tightly in his jaws while slamming the man to the ground with his bodyweight. The man managed to wriggle out from underneath Zoro and he quickly gave him a jab in the ribs with the hilt of his knife causing Zoro to yelp involuntarily. Zoro twisted as well and felt his teeth sink into the man's shoulder. The man shouted in pain and fear and jabbed Zoro in the ribs with his elbows a couple more times, making Zoro whimper with each blow, but he refused to release his hold until the man finally managed to twist free and took off, screaming about demon dogs and clutching his torn arm and shoulder.

With the danger gone Zoro finally collapsed, willing the strong taste of bile in the back of his throat to go down and feeling his stomach roll angrily at the abuse it had just endured. He knew it had been his last burst of strength, he wouldn't be able to get up again after this.

"Hey…"

Zoro heard the kid whisper gently near his side. He flinched at the sound, he had almost forgotten about him. He grunted in reply, the effort of that alone hurting his aching ribs terribly. He waited until he felt a thin hand rest gently against his slowly rising and falling ribs.

"Hey boy…" the kid continued softly. "Thanks for getting rid of that guy…"

Zoro tried to open his eyes to look up and saw the boy's face leaning close to his own, peering down at him with wide, concerned eyes. "Damn…" He felt the hand trace the exposed outlines of his ribs under his fur. "You don't seem good at all."

Zoro sighed tiredly, and tried to lift his head but as he expected his body wasn't responding and he quickly fell back to the ground. The boy pressed a hand against his shoulder as if to hold him down.

"No, don't move. You rest up, okay? I'll get us home somehow. You just hang in there…"

The boy's voice was warbling strangely, fading in and out. Zoro realized he was slipping into unconsciousness with the final sensation of the boy's hand stroking his damp face and ears comfortingly and his calming words.

"Hang in there, Buddy…. Hang in there…"


	3. Chapter 3: Monkey D Luffy and the Barati

Chapter 3: Monkey D. Luffy and the Baratie

When Zoro woke up, he was greeted by the blinding light of the morning sun and he quickly clamped his eyes closed gain as his head throbbed painfully. As he began to gather his wits a bit more, he became aware that he was surrounded by something heavy and warm.

He blinked a few times, his eyes slowly adjusting to the light until he was able to see that he was lying on a futon in a sparsely furnished bedroom. He tried to get up, realizing that he had been carefully tucked into a tightly wrapped blanket so that he could barely move. With groan of fatigue, Zoro wriggled free of the blanket and sat up, taking in his surroundings.

A gentle snore below him made Zoro jump slightly and he looked down to see the boy, fast asleep on the floor next to him covered in a thin sheet. The boy grunted and rolled, tucking his knees up against his chest in an unconscious shiver. Zoro sighed and reached over his shoulder to tug the blankets free, letting them fall gently on top of the shivering boy below him. The young teen immediately stopped shivering, reaching up to pull the bunched up blankets under his chin and mumbling something incoherent with his ridiculously huge grin.

Zoro sighed in bemusement, staring down at the person that had saved his life, twice. After a few seconds his heightened sense of smell caught the scent of something delicious and Zoro's head turned, almost involuntarily following his nose until he was facing a bowl of rice smothered in butter and soy sauce. It was cold as if it had been sitting there for some time, but that didn't matter to Zoro in the least. Trying not to eat loudly despite his desperation, Zoro dug in, feeling his stomach roll eagerly with each bite until the bowl was completely empty. He felt silly as he licked the ceramic bowl clean with his large, pink tongue, feeling more like a dog than ever before, but he was past caring about such things anymore.

Once the bowl was clean, he heard a soft groan and looked down to see the boy stretching leisurely under the blankets he had given him. After a few drowsy blinks, the boy finally looked up and noticed that he was awake.

"You're up!" he yelped, his face splitting in a huge grin as he shot up from the floor. Zoro almost flinched at the sudden motion, but he relaxed as soon as the boy scooched on his knees towards him and looked over his thin body with a concerned, critical eye.

"How you feeling?" the boy asked, frowning in concern at the empty bowl. Zoro shrugged, feeling his tail thump involuntarily against the bed as he did so. The boy looked slightly startled.

"Woah, I've never seen a dog shrug before. I was just talking to you because… well I get kind of lonely, but it's almost like you understand me!" The boy paused and squinted at Zoro suspiciously. "Can you?"

Zoro rolled his eyes and nodded, making the boy laugh loudly. "Hah! That's awesome. You're the coolest dog I've ever met!"

Zoro felt a strange feeling of joy as he realized that he might actually get to talk to someone again. If this boy at least believed he could understand him, then perhaps he could find some way to communicate.

"Can you talk too?" the boy asked, his eyes still wide in excitement.

"Don't be stupid!" Zoro barked, shaking his head. The boy groaned in disappointment but smiled again a moment later.

"Well, either way, you're still cool. My name's Luffy, Monkey D. Luffy. Nice to meet you!" Luffy held out his hand and Zoro returned the gesture with a large paw, allowing Luffy to shake it enthusiastically. "I'd ask for your name, but since you can't talk I guess that'd be silly, maybe we can try to figure out what your name is later."

Zoro rolled his eyes. "The day you somehow figure out my real name is the day I stay with you until I break this stupid curse." He muttered to himself.

"Anyway, I'm glad you're okay," Luffy continued, speaking quickly. "That's twice now you've saved me. I only wish I could have given you a bit more to eat, I know you're probably still really hungry but all I've got is rice right now."

Zoro pinned his ears. "Do you not have enough to eat?" he asked in a gentle wine, tilting his head. He was surprised that the boy seemed to understand the gestured question easily enough.

"I've got enough for now. I haven't been paid yet and I used up the rest to pay off the rent but I've still got a couple of bags of rice before I'm out. Until then, I have to pull off some extra hours to get more money to pay for food. It'll suck, but I'll manage."

Zoro gave a soft growl of disapproval "You shouldn't be feeding me if you can barely feed yourself, idiot!"

The teen chuckled and rocked back on his knees. "Don't worry about me! For now, let's get you back into your awesome cool dog shape!" He got to his feet and crossed his arms determinedly. "First, a bath, because man you need one."

Zoro snorted, but he had to admit the idea of being clean and dry for once was very appealing.

Within a few minutes, Zoro found himself getting his very first bath as a dog. The boy offered to help and gently rinsed Zoro's grimy back and shoulders with the warm water, causing the water to run off in black streams. Zoro head hung under the weight of the water but the sensation was mildly pleasant. The boy then gave Zoro a healthy squirt of shampoo and started to message it into his thick fur, lathering it up until he looked like a sudsy sheep.

"Dude, you look like a wolf or something under all this dirt!" Luffy giggled as he arranged a pile of suds over Zoro's head. "A wolf in sheep's clothing, hahahaha!"

"Are you done yet? Sheesh I've never met a teenager who enjoyed bubble baths so much," Zoro grumbled as he felt the spray of water starting to rinse off the soapsuds.

"Whoa! You're green!"

"How observant…" Zoro huffed, expecting any number of snide comments about his hair color.

"So cool!" Luffy laughed, running his hands over Zoro's green back now that the water was finally running clear. "A green dog that's as big as a small horse," he giggled.

Zoro didn't appreciate being referred to as a 'small horse' and he cast the boy an unimpressed glare, which only made Luffy laugh harder at the large dog's rather soggy frown.

Once he was finally clean, Zoro hopped out of the tub and let himself be rubbed dry with a thin towel, making his fur fluff up comically. Luffy laughed unashamedly at him until Zoro managed to shake his fur to a decent volume once again, when Luffy suddenly let out a gasp of alarm.

"Shoot! I'm late for school!" He ran out of the bathroom followed at a respectful distance by Zoro. Luffy dashed around the room, grabbing books off of chairs and stuffing them into his blue backpack so that paper scrunched up carelessly. "Um…" Luffy skidded to a stop with one sandal on and the other still clutched in his hand, seeming to suddenly remember that Zoro was there. "You can… um, stay here if you want. Or go, if you don't. I'm fine with whatever, I mean, I'm happy for you to stay if you want to, but if you don't I understand."

Zoro pinned his ears thoughtfully, considering his options. He wasn't inclined to cause the boy any more inconvenience than he already had, apparently Luffy could barely feed himself as it was without having to feed Zoro too. Staying for a short time, however, would at least give him a chance to regain a bit of his strength. Once he was strong enough, perhaps he could get out of the city and find better pickings in the outskirts of town. But Zoro was concerned for Luffy's safety as well, an unusual protective urge making him hesitant to let the boy out of his sight. Luffy had saved his life after all, he owed him that much at least.

Zoro stepped forward, coming to stand beside the boy and looking up at him pointedly.

"I'll just stick with you for today," he announced, shrugging as if it was no big issue. Luffy raised a surprised eyebrow but smiled.

"You're gon'a come with me? Okay, but I'm not allowed to bring dogs into the school."

Zoro shrugged, he didn't mind waiting, it wasn't like there was anything else for him to do. Luffy chuckled.

Once they'd exited the building Zoro began to recognize where they were. It was only a few blocks away from his old apartment building, he had passed it many times in his wanderings in the past few weeks. It was several blocks away from where he had collapsed the night before though, and it occurred to Zoro that Luffy must have carried him all that way. Zoro may have been thin and weak but he was still a very large dog, it would be hard for a full-grown man to carry him let alone this wiry teen. Zoro cast Luffy a curious glance as they walked, now more intrigued than ever.

As they made their way towards Luffy's school, people seemed to part around the two of them like water, causing Zoro to roll his eyes in annoyance.

Luffy just laughed. "I guess people must think you look pretty scary."

"Bunch of cowards," Zoro snorted.

"I can tell you're a good guy though," Luffy said, making Zoro look up at him in surprise. He had been called many things in his life, a monster, a demon, Satan spawn, a killer, but as far as he could remember no one had ever called him a 'good guy' before. Luffy noticed his look and frowned in confusion. "What? You helped me twice, and you're still sticking around to keep an eye on me. A bad guy wouldn't do that."

Zoro couldn't argue with Luffy on that one, but he hadn't really thought of their first encounter as a rescue, he had just been trying to get away from Helmeppo.

Apparently, fate thought the two of them needed yet another confrontation to deal with. Zoro felt the fur on the back of his neck prickle uncomfortably, signaling danger. He turned and growled low in his throat warningly, causing Luffy to turn as well. Three older teens had approached from behind them and were eyeing them with their heads together furtively. Zoro sensed Luffy tense slightly, but the younger boy continued walking as if he hadn't noticed them, keeping his eyes on the sidewalk in front of him. They continued on for another block before the teens seemed to speed up, their chattering growing more excited as they drew nearer. Zoro began to catch snippets of what they were saying.

"…That the kid…?"

"…Let's see what he's got…"

"….Fullbody's in position… one more block I think…"

Zoro growled again, peering up at Luffy insistently, but Luffy shook his head. "Not yet," he whispered, not looking at Zoro. His voice was serious, but not afraid. Zoro got the feeling Luffy knew the boys and what they were up to. Perhaps he had a plan.

Just as the teens had said, within another block another burly looking punk with pink hair and bolt studded iron knuckles was leaning against a fence ahead of them, smoking. He seemed leisurely enough, but it was obvious that he was waiting, apparently for Luffy.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't little Monkey D." The pink haired teen drawled, puffing out his drag in a huffed breath. Luffy halted and Zoro's hackles raised as the three guys behind them fanned out, blocking them in. "Off to your little monkey school to learn about monkey things with your bananas and fleas?" Pink-haired teen snickered. The three others laughed and made monkey noises behind them, hopping and scratching like idiots.

Zoro pinned his ears and waited for Luffy to respond. "Who the heck are these punks anyway?" he asked in a deep rumbling whine and his ears flicked from one thug to the other warily. He was pretty sure he could take them on now that he had them all in his sights, but he hadn't regained his strength completely after only one meal and he wasn't looking forward to a fight this early in the morning. Again though, Luffy seemed unconcerned, simply frowning at the thug leader as if he was just someone annoying blocking his way.

"I wonder if the little monkey's got any bananas in his pack?" one of the thugs snickered, earning chuckles from his buddies.

"Yeah, let's take a look," Pink-haired thug agreed, stepping forward. He swung his arm upwards, seemingly meaning to knock Luffy's hat off his head teasingly before he mugged him, but even Zoro jumped in surprise when Luffy's hand shot up and snatched the thug's wrist. He yanked the wrist downward, making the teen lean forward in surprise and, in the same motion, Luffy thrust his own elbow up into the guy's face. There was a crack and the thug reeled back, blood spurting out of his nose, cursing loudly.

"You Bastard!" the thug right behind Luffy roared and sprang at Luffy, his arm winding back to throw a heavy punch. Luffy side stepped, knocking the thug who was blocking his escape into the street aside with his other elbow. The thug who had lunged stumbled past him, unable to stop in time from all his momentum. Zoro jumped to the side to avoid being fallen on and watched in fascination as Luffy drew back his own fist and punched the tumbled teen in the face, grounding him for good.

By now the other three had gathered their bearings and attacked all together, swearing and growling. Luffy punched two of them with twin fists, but the third managed to dodge around and aimed for Luffy's head. Zoro chose that moment to intervene, spotting the attack before Luffy could dodge or block. He rushed under the teen's legs, knocking them out from under him and sending him crashing to the ground. Zoro twisted around and grabbed the guy's shoulder in his jaws.

If he shook his head hard enough, he could dislocate the shoulder, but something about the way Luffy was fighting made him hesitate. The three other thugs were already unconscious on the ground, beaten yes, bruised very, but not seriously injured. From what Zoro had seen Luffy was strong enough to take the fight further and rid himself of four more thugs to worry about, but he wasn't. The final guy clenched in Zoro's jaws screamed in pain as Zoro increased the pressure, clawing desperately at Zoro's face to be released. Zoro gave the shoulder a rough, but considerably less deadly, shake and released him, snapping near his ear with a vicious snarl and a deafening bark for good measure as the teen scrambled to get away, tripping over himself as he abandoned his friends and disappeared around the corner.

Luffy and Zoro looked at each other with the same expressions of fatigued fascination.

"That was incredible!" Zoro marveled, barking earnestly though his panting.

"You took that guy out in an instant!" Luffy laughed, his face beaming in admiration as he leaned against his knees. "He would have had me for sure if you hadn't been there."

They looked down at the three unconscious attackers and grinned smugly. With a jerk of his head Luffy stepped over them and continued while Zoro followed close behind.

"I had no idea you could fight like that," Zoro barked, looking up at Luffy as he trotted along beside him. Luffy grinned.

"I've seen those guys before. That was Pete Fullbody and his goons. People like them like to pick fight with me all the time to get back at my brother, but I'm actually super strong, so I don't really mind, unless they get a hold of my hat." Luffy raised a hand and pressed the straw hat further onto his head as if assuring himself that it was still there.

"Risking your life over a hat, you're even crazier than I first thought," Zoro snorted, shaking his head with a doggish chuckle. He was surprisingly glad though, to see that Luffy wasn't as helpless as he had initially thought. The kid had a target on his back for some reason though, and that was reason enough to be concerned.

"Well, we're here," Luffy finally said as they came to a wrought iron fence surrounding a slightly dingy cement schoolyard in front of an old brick building. Zoro knew this school well, he had gone here himself when he was younger before he had dropped out. He was surprised to find himself wondering how his life might have been different if he had stayed in school. Luffy was a bit younger than him, but maybe they could have known each other somehow if he had stayed.

"The first bell's already gone," Luffy said, jumping nimbly over the fence. "If I don't see you when school's out, thanks for walking me here at least."

Zoro huffed and sat down, indicating that he wasn't going anywhere and Luffy chuckled as he finally dashed across the school yard and entered the building.

Zoro waited outside the fence, letting his back rest against the overgrown hedges that grew along the street either side of the school. Some people walked past him without even noticing him, others skittered away from him with looks of alarm, crossing the street or not passing at all. Zoro paid them no mind. He was busy thinking.

He'd had a lot of time to think in the past few months, but it had always been bitter, angry thoughts. He had thought he had a lot of people to be angry with. The fox for one, he had dreamt of shredding to bits right from the get go. The crimes he had seen as a dog also disturbed him, more than he had expected. Everything seemed so much clearer as a dog for some reason, so much harder to ignore. Perhaps because he could practically smell the fear dripping off of every passer-by, the anxiety that plagued the streets, often because of him. Was he really so hated?

No, he realized, Luffy had called him a good guy. That wasn't much to base an opinion of himself on, Luffy was only a naïve child who didn't know the horrible things Zoro had done in his past or the horrible things that had been done to him. The thought was one of the first positive thoughts Zoro had had since becoming a dog though, and that was surprisingly comforting.

Before he knew it, the school lunch bell sounded and kids started to stream out of the building, kicking balls and tussling on the damp pavement. Zoro tried not to look as if he was looking for Luffy, but he turned his head to stare at the school door, watching for that messy black mop of a head to appear in the stream of high-schoolers. He smelled him before he saw him, so he didn't jump when he heard the familiar cheerful greeting.

"You're still here! Have you just been sitting there this whole time?" Luffy leaned over the fence and chuckled at him, his face beaming.

Zoro huffed and turned away, he would have blushed if he was able, but luckily his furry face prevented Luffy from seeing it.

Luffy looked like he was about to say something more when Zoro spotted a strange man approaching down the sidewalk towards them. He was a tall, lanky, young man, possibly around Zoro's age in his late teens, with golden blond hair that hung over one eye and an oddly curled eyebrow above the other. He was dressed in an unusually pristine black suit and tie with finely polished black shoes to match, making him appear out of place in the grungy Northern city street. He looked like he was deep in thought, puffing on a cigarette with his eyes on the path in front of him. Zoro was expecting the man to look up and skirt away from him as all the others had, but Luffy grinned as if he recognized him.

"Hey, Sanji!"

The man jerked to a stop and looked up, seemingly only then realizing where he was. It took a second for him to spot who had called him, but he smirked when he saw Luffy.

"Oh, hey Luffy." He tapped the ashes off the end of his cigarette and came to stand against the fence just across from Luffy. "I was actually meaning to ask you, where's Ace been lately? I haven't seen him around in a few months."

Luffy's face immediately fell and Zoro felt the fur on his spine prickle oddly. Luffy quickly grinned once more, though it was clearly forced.

"Oh, he's just been away on a business trip for a few weeks, he should be back really soon."

The man named Sanji frowned. "That Bastard, he left you alone all this time? How are you getting enough to eat and pay rent?"

"He's been sending me money for food and rent," Luffy replied quickly.

"Enough?"

'No,' Zoro thought, pinning his ears.

Luffy shrugged, obviously trying to downplay his situation but Sanji narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"That's why you've been taking extra shifts at the restaurant, isn't it? You should have told me. I would have made sure to set more of the leftovers aside for you to take home."

"I'm fine, really." Luffy smiled, leaning back from the fence and rocking playfully. "Besides, at least I'm not alone anymore, I've got a new house-mate, for now anyways."

He gestured towards Zoro with his head, finally drawing the blond man's attention to the massive dog. Sanji's eyes went wide and he yelped in alarm, grabbing the fence and leaping over it stand beside Luffy on the other side.

"What the heck is that thing?"

"I'm watching him, for a friend," Luffy explained, giggling at Sanji's reaction.

"It looks like a mutated horse!"

"Look who's talking, you mutant dartboard!" Zoro growled, making the blond man jump.

"Don't be rude Sanji, he can understand you, you know," Luffy said patiently as if he was talking to a child.

"Yeah sure, and I'm sure it can tap dance and sing karaoke as well," Sanji scoffed.

"How about I rip your throat out, would that impress you?" Zoro got to his feet to show this Sanji character just how big he actually was. Luffy just laughed and waved at Zoro to calm down. Zoro reluctantly complied but scowled at Sanji just the same.

"Don't worry about him, he's not a bad guy," Luffy assured Zoro, patting Sanji's shoulder in a chummy gesture. "This here's my brother's friend, Sanji Vinsmoke, but people around here call him the Blackleg."

Zoro's hackles lifted immediately at the mention of that name. It wasn't just street dwellers who knew the Vinsmokes. Everyone knew they were the biggest crime family in the country. They had so much power and influence planted in the justice system that any one of their members could pull off a murder in broad daylight and get away with it. They were the kind of family you didn't want to get involved with if you planned on living a long life. What the heck was Luffy doing with someone from their group?

Sanji cast Luffy a withered frown at the dog's hostile reaction. "Honestly Luffy, I know it's just a dumb dog, but do you really have to go throwing my family name around so casually. You know I don't associate with them."

"Sorry, sorry." Luffy grinned sheepishly.

"Oi, you two!" a voice called. The three of them turned to realize that the school yard was empty except for a huge man with vibrant blue hair and massive shoulders standing on the front steps. "The bell rang, it's time to come in."

"Coming, Mr. Franky!" Luffy called over his shoulder. The man, seeming to finally actually look at who the boys were, grinned and waved cheerfully.

"Oh, Luffy, I've got you next class. And is that Sanji? I thought you graduated two years ago."

"Just dropped by for a visit, Mr. F." Sanji waved, casting Zoro a wary glance before tentatively clambering over the fence once more and shoving his hands in his pockets. He turned to Luffy and leaned towards him. "I guess I'll see you at the restaurant after school then?"

Luffy nodded and waved as Sanji finally continued on his way, giving Zoro a wide berth as he passed despite his nonchalant strides.

"I'd better go too, I guess," Luffy sighed giving Zoro a quick pat on the head. "I've got shop with Mr. Franky. I'm not very good at it, but he's such a funny guy. He's been suspended three times for taking his pants off in the shop. He's not a pervert with the students or anything, he just hates pants." Luffy giggled at this and ran back towards the school, waving as he went.

Zoro waited for the remainder of Luffy's school day to end in much the same way as he had been before, pondering his current situation and what he should do next. He was still planning on staying with Luffy, but for how long he couldn't decide. He hadn't known Luffy had a brother who supposedly cared for him, but where that brother was, was a mystery. Luffy hadn't seemed all too certain as to when his brother would return, but he would continue to be alone until then. Then there was the rather curious question as to why Zoro cared in the first place. Sure, Luffy had offered him his place to stay and saved him from starvation, twice, but there was something more to Luffy than Zoro understood, something that made him want to be near him and make sure he was safe.

When the end-of-day bell finally rang and Luffy came running out to meet Zoro once more, Zoro had decided to get to the bottom of Luffy's situation once and for all. Once Luffy had given him the usual friendly greeting and led the way back towards the apartment, Zoro followed after him and cast him pointedly attentive stares until the young teen glanced down at him.

"What?" he asked, finally catching on to Zoro's query.

"What's going on?" Zoro demanded in a stern but not angry bark, his ears in a curious upright position. He knew Luffy couldn't understand him, but the boy had proven to be quite perceptive as to what Zoro was trying to say thus far. Luffy stared at him for several seconds, seeming to be considering what Zoro could be saying, when he finally sighed.

"Ok, fine." Luffy shoved his hands into his pockets and frowned. "I've been living with my older brother, Ace, since I was a little kid, we grew up on the streets together and he's always taken care of me. He was the one who made sure I went to school and got an education while he went out and worked. Things started getting hard for us a couple of years ago so he started up this gang called the Spades with a couple of friends. Not like most of the gangs around here though, they didn't hassle innocent people or anything, just dabbled in different underground businesses and stuff. They're all awesome guys."

Zoro was surprised, he had heard of the Spade gang. They were notoriously strong and a lot of the weaker gangs had been beaten down by them according to word on the streets, but Zoro himself had never encountered them. Luffy's brother was one of their leaders?

"Then, a couple months ago, one of the guys in my brother's gang, some grunt called Blackbeard or something, murdered one of their own and skipped town. Ace decided he had to deal with the guy and he went after him. I haven't seen him since. He's been sending me money every couple of weeks, but when due date for rent came around last week, nothing came. I asked for a couple extra shifts at work to cover the rent, but I'm a bit short for food now."

"Don't tell me you got involved with the Vinsmokes to make ends meet," Zoro growled, tilting his head back towards the school and hoping Luffy would take the hint about the conversation they had had with the blond man earlier in the day. Luffy, as usual, seemed to understand the question perfectly.

"You mean Sanji? He used to be a part of my brother's gang until he got too busy with his dad's restaurant. He may be a Vinsmoke by birth but he hasn't spoken to his family since they pretty much abandoned him when he was a kid. His foster dad is pretty cool though, old Redleg Zeff they call him from his days in the street gangs. He left the gangs to build his own restaurant and Sanji's followed his passion to become a top chef. Sanji offered to get me some work at their restaurant when I said I wanted a bit of pocket money, but I didn't want to bother him about Ace."

Zoro frowned, hanging his tail and drooping his ears thoughtfully. The decision was easy now, he would stay with Luffy until Ace returned, and once he did he'd give that bastard a good bite in the hind quarters for leaving his little brother in such a situation. What to do afterwards was a bit harder to decide, but if Ace had been away as long as Luffy said, there was no telling how long it would take for him to return.

When they got back to the apartment, Luffy threw his backpack onto the bed and rushed to the small kitchenette to open the fridge.

"You hungry buddy? I know I didn't leave you with any lunch all day. I'm just going to have a bite before I leave for work."

Zoro was about to growl a 'no' but Luffy was already scooping rice into two bowls and drizzling soy sauce all over it. When the bowl was placed in front of him, Zoro cast Luffy a reproachful glare and was going to refuse to eat it, but Luffy returned the glare with a look of such earnest concern that Zoro finally sighed and dug in. It wasn't as if he could just not eat at all while he was there.

Luffy smiled as he watched him eat and leaned forward to shovel his own rice into his mouth.

As he ate, Zoro glanced up and spotted some pictures on the dresser. Luffy noticed and followed his gaze to see what had distracted him.

"Oh yeah, that's me and Ace." He leapt to his feet and snatched the picture off the dresser, holding it out to show Zoro. The picture showed a younger Luffy, leaning into the photo with another black-haired young man who was probably two or three years older. Ace had a similar grin to Luffy's, large and infectious, with lots of freckles and steely grey eyes. He had one arm wrapped around Luffy's neck as if they were wrestling playfully and the other arm was extended to hold out the camera. The photo made Zoro wonder, yet again, how such a seemingly caring older brother could leave Luffy all alone like that. Luffy finally took the picture back to gaze at it himself, smiling fondly.

"Ace and I are always playing like that, even though we fight a lot too. He always took care of me though. He says he wants me to do something meaningful with my life, not like him, but I think what Ace does is more meaningful than anything. He fights for his friends and those he cares about, and that's far more meaningful to me than any old desk job, no matter how much money he makes. I'm not really interested in joining a gang though, too much trouble."

"What do you want to do with your life then?" Zoro asked, tilting his head curiously. Luffy grinned.

"I want to travel, gather a bunch of friends along the way and just see what's out there to explore. I don't have any friends to go with me right now, but someday I'll have loads so I'll never have to be alone, and we'll all be together and have great adventures."

It was a grand dream, Zoro had to admit. Something about it made his heart flutter, the way a wind storm did on a warm night. Zoro had never considered leaving the city for something else, everything he had ever needed was right here and he certainly didn't have the resources to travel. But what if Luffy was right? What if he had a secret desire to see what the world had to offer? If he did, would he be brave enough to seek it on his own, or would it be better with a companion?

Zoro was pulled from his thoughts when Luffy was suddenly on his feet again, leaving the bowls on the table.

"I have to go to work now, Sanji's expecting me," he announced. "You can stay here and sleep if you want. Honestly, I'll be safe there, no one would dare bother Redleg Zeff's restaurant."

"As if," Zoro snorted, getting to his feet. "Even if you say the Vinsmokes aren't involved, the streets are crawling with gang maggots these days. I'm not letting you walk in the dark alone."

Luffy shrugged, getting the message. "Ok, do what you want." He grinned despite his words and led the way out of the apartment.

Luffy led Zoro down a dark alley adjacent to his apartment building and up the back street. Zoro was quite familiar with the street for the gangs that frequently met there. He kept his ears and eyes open at all times while Luffy seemed to be pleasantly oblivious, strolling casually and kicking at cans as he walked.

"Here we are!" Luffy waved his arms dramatically as they finally came to a small two story building squashed carelessly between two larger apartment buildings. It was an older building, with dingy brick and grimy whitewashed window frames. There were alleys on either side of it, but they were barely wide enough for someone to walk through without their shoulders touching a wall on both sides. There was a small, carefully swept, tile patio at the front with four round tables and wrought iron chairs. Flower boxes had been planted at each corner of the patio and in window boxes under each window. Finally, above the door was a stone arch with the restaurant's name, The Barattea, carved into the stone in large old fashioned lettering.

It was an altogether old but quaint looking building, and Zoro had the feeling it was equally as old and quaint inside. Luffy led Zoro down the side alley to their left where there was a narrow door leading into the back kitchen. They snuck through the kitchen, avoiding the attention of two rather surly looking cooks as they busily worked at the stoves. As Luffy ducked into a side room Zoro squeezed in behind him and found himself inside what appeared to be a small dressing/storage room with a row of three small lockers and cleaning supplies stacked in the corner. Luffy quickly changed into his uniform, which was a white dress shirt and black pants with a dark purple vest and lighter purple tie. It was far too formal for Luffy, but Zoro had to admit the kid could clean up nice when he had to, even if his shirt was a bit wrinkled and his tie was crooked.

"Luffy? Is that you?" Sanji's voice called from the kitchen, getting nearer.

"Uh oh," Luffy muttered clasping his hands behind his back guiltily as Sanji finally burst into the room.

"Get out here man we're short on waiters and- What the heck did you bring him here for?!" Sanji exclaimed when he noticed Zoro sitting behind Luffy.

Luffy shrugged. "I gave him a choice to stay at my place or come with me."

"It's a dog, Luffy, not your house guest. Just lock the door and leave it at home. You can't bring a dog into a high class restaurant like this!"

"High class?" Zoro snorted, looking around at the crumbling paint on the walls and the rusted door hinges. "You've got delusions of grandeur if you think this dump would be considered high class, Curly boy."

"But he's really smart! See? He's behaving. Patty and Carne didn't even notice him he's so quiet."

Sanji groaned and rubbed his temples in exasperation. "Fine! Fine… the old man's going to have a kitten if he finds out, but keep that disgusting mutt in here!"

Zoro glared and growled in his throat.

"You don't have to be so rude, Sanji, he can understand you remember?"

"Whatever."

"You wan' a piece of me? You damn Dartbrow!" Zoro barked, making Sanji jump slightly. Sanji shushed him desperately.

"Shut up or I really will kick you out, you stupid mutt. Just… stay here and be quiet." Sanji continued to glare at Zoro as he backed out of the room and closed the door behind him.

"I'd better get to work," Luffy sighed, turning to Zoro. "Will you be okay in here by yourself? Won't you get board?"

"Quit worrying about me, I can handle a few hours in here," Zoro insisted, rolling his eyes and nudging Luffy towards the door. Luffy looked like he wanted to protest further but an angry call from Sanji made him sigh in resignation and he hurried out, leaving the door open behind him.

Zoro took up a comfortable position on the floor where he could see the serving floor from the open doorway through the kitchen. Only a small section of the room was in view, but he still caught glimpses of Luffy dashing back and forth with trays of food and drinks for various tables. After a while, he finally allowed his eyes to close and he fell asleep with the sounds of a busy kitchen in the background.

A couple hours went by before Luffy came back with two doggy bags filled with boxes of delicious smelling food, rousing Zoro from his sleep.

"Hey, we're in luck! Sanji said I could choose some leftovers to take home." Luffy pulled out one of the boxes as he spoke and opened it to reveal some sort of chicken stir-fry dish mixed with a colorful vegetable salad. "I thought you'd be getting hungry by now so eat up. It's free food after all." Luffy grinned and left again without another word. Zoro hesitated before eating, but he had to admit the smell of the food was mouth-watering. He finally risked one bite and ended up having to stop himself devouring the rest an instant later. It was by far the best food he'd ever tasted.

"I've just been hungry for too long. It's not like that curly guy's cooking ability has anything to do with it," he told himself, licking his chops.


	4. Chapter 4: Zoro Alone

Hey guys! Wow, I'm so happy so many people have already started to favorite my story. I'd love to know what some of you think about it so far. So this is the last chapter that I based off of Sho-A0YCupid's story, Loyal, after this the story is almost completely my own. It's a lot harder to make up stuff from my own brain so I hope you like it.

* * *

Chapter 4: Zoro Alone

After two days with Luffy, Zoro was beginning to get used to having the boy's company and though he'd never admit it out loud, he was secretly enjoying it. Zoro had quickly realized that if Luffy wasn't forced he would literally go all day without stopping so he took it upon himself to try and force the boy to stop and relax every now and then. It was obvious that Luffy was pressed for money and so he wanted to work, and he got antsy when he had to sit idly for too long, so Zoro gave him things to do. The two of them went for walks together through the park, and played board games before bed to pass the time. They were simple activities, but it seemed to make a big difference to Luffy.

Zoro was regaining his strength as well. It would take a lot longer than two days to reach his original weight and strength, but two days of eating more and sleeping deeper than he had in three months all together had worked wonders. Zoro was feeling his old confidence returning and he knew it was only because of Luffy.

Luffy took shifts at the restaurant every night despite Sanji's misgivings. Zoro wasn't too happy with how hard Luffy was pushing himself either but it wasn't like he could stop him, so he opted to following Luffy to and from work to keep an eye on him. The walk there would be fine, but Zoro knew when darkness fell and Luffy was making his way home there was no chance he was letting him go alone. Luffy didn't seem to mind, and despite his insistence that it was against food safe regulations and whatever else excuse he could think of, Sanji never really seemed to mind Zoro being there either.

That afternoon, Zoro was returning to Luffy's school to wait for him to be dismissed. He had decided to spend his time waiting for Luffy patrolling his old routs rather than just sitting idly by the fence for hours. He may be a dog but that didn't mean he didn't care about the what happened on his turf. He was approaching the wrought iron fence that surrounded the school when he spotted a familiar blond figure walking towards him from the opposite end of the school yard.

Sanji was staring at the sidewalk as he walked and didn't seem to notice Zoro until he was almost on top of him. With a small grunt of surprise, however, he halted and even muttered a startled apology before realizing who he had almost bumped into.

"Oh, it's you," Sanji scoffed, glaring down at Zoro indignantly. Zoro grunted uncaringly and stepped to the side to walk around the irritating chef, not in the mood for any of his dumb-dog jokes, but Sanji kept his eyes trained on the green-haired dog as if he wanted to say something. Zoro had already retreated several strides before he heard Sanji mutter a hesitant cough and turned back to glance at him questioningly. Sanji's eyes widened slightly as if he hadn't expected Zoro to respond. Zoro frowned, he had never seen Sanji act so uncertain before.

"Got something to say, Curly brow?" Zoro sneered, amused by the other teen's discomfort. Sanji obviously didn't understand him, but he could tell that Zoro was saying something because he quickly shifted his expression to a glare.

"Shut up, will ya? I just have a question!" Sanji grumbled leaning against the wrought iron fence and fidgeting with his tie. Even with his color blindness Zoro could see the blonde's face turning bright pink. Sanji turned away and glanced up and down the street over his shoulder as if scared someone might see him. "I can't believe I'm doing this," he muttered under his breath before he turned to Zoro again, frowning determinedly. "So… Luffy says you can understand speech, right?"

Zoro considered playing dumb just to tick him off. The chef was clearly uncomfortable with the thought of looking like a fool trying to talk to a dog. He thought better of it though, realizing there would be a lot more opportunities to tease the chef later if he knew he could understand him. So, with a nod Zoro confirmed Sanji's question, making the blonde gasp in disbelief.

"You can't be serious. What the heck kind of a damn horse-dog are you?"

Zoro growled low and barked in warning and Sanji quickly raised his hands in surrender, apparently getting over how weirded out he was.

"Take it easy, alright? I just want to know if Luffy is okay."

Zoro perked his ears up in interest at last, tilting his head questioningly and nodding for Sanji to continue. Sanji shrugged.

"Listen, I've known Luffy since he was little. He's usually a bottomless pit, but the kid's so proud he won't admit when he needs help. I know he couldn't get enough food on his own. My first question, has his brother come back yet?"

Zoro shook his head in response, making Sanji purse his lips in concern.

"No?… Do you know where he is?"

Zoro shook his head again, drooping his ears to indicate his own frustration at that fact. Sanji crossed his arms in exasperation, muttering to himself. "That damn Ace, leaving his brother alone like that. How's a seventeen-year-old kid with the brain of a five-year-old supposed to fend for himself, huh?"

Zoro had to agree with Sanji on that point. Luffy claimed he was fine and seemed to be holding up on his own for now, but Zoro knew that if Ace didn't show up soon or someone else stepped in Luffy would burn himself out within a couple of weeks.

"How's Luffy doing for food?" Sanji sighed, speaking to Zoro again, sounding perfectly comfortable talking to a dog now. Zoro hung his head and tilted it to either side in a so-so gesture. Luffy wasn't starving, but he wasn't getting as much as he should be, or rest for that matter.

Sanji swore under his breath and rubbed the back of his head, looking distraught. "One more thing," he said, his tone lowering. "Luffy's not watching you for a friend, is he? You're just a stray he picked up off the street. So, was it this bad when he brought you in, and if so, why the heck did you stay?"

Zoro felt his heart plummet guiltily at the chef's words. Every word of it was true, and despite his insistence that he had stayed for Luffy's sake, Zoro couldn't deny that he had been making Luffy's struggles harder just because he was enjoying the kid's company. He couldn't express these thoughts to the chef the same way he would be able to with Luffy though, and Zoro sighed, shaking his head at Sanji. Sanji scowled, not liking the lack of an answer, but even he recognized the language barrier at play and didn't pester Zoro for more. He sighed instead and turned to leave.

"Thanks…" he muttered, casting Zoro a final glance and retreating down the street towards the restaurant. Zoro stayed where he was, watching the blond chef's retreating back with a sense of dread in the pit of his stomach. He could tell Sanji meant well, for Luffy's sake at least. But if Sanji felt as if Luffy couldn't handle things on his own anymore, what did that mean for Zoro? Despite himself, Zoro realized that the thought of leaving Luffy was a very unpleasant one. If it would be better for Luffy though, maybe he was just being selfish.

* * *

Luffy seemed to realize something had happened when he spotted Zoro from the school archway at the end of day bell. Zoro tried his best not to let his gloomy mood show and refused to explain when Luffy asked, so the two of them forgot about it as they made their way to the restaurant together. Apparently Sanji had been thinking about it quite a lot as well, however, and he cornered Luffy the second they stepped through the back door.

"Oh! Hey Sanji, what's up?" Luffy said with a wide, cheerful smile, casting the blond a curious glance. Sanji frowned down at Zoro and for a moment Zoro thought he was going to refuse to allow him to enter the restaurant.

"We need to talk," the chef stated simply, taking Luffy by the shoulder. Luffy's smile faltered as he recognized the serious frown on his boss's face and he followed without question leaving Zoro alone in the kitchen to agonize over what they would be discussing.

Luffy continued to frown in confusion as he followed Sanji to the small office he and Zeff shared at the back of the kitchen. Sanji closed the door behind them and took a seat behind the desk, looking up at Luffy with a concerned frown.

"What's up?" Luffy asked finally, flashing a nervous smile to try and ease the tension, but Sanji wasn't taking the bait.

"It felt real stupid doing it, Luffy, but I talked to that hellhound of yours."

Luffy fidgeted nervously. "Oh. Did he say something mean? He knows you don't like him much so he gets kind of rude sometimes. Am I fired?"

"What? No!" Sanji waved his hands. "Listen Luffy, I know Ace has been gone for more than just a few weeks and left you alone to fend for yourself. You can't possibly expect to be able to cope on your own with school and work and rent and that dog to feed."

Luffy knew that he was ratted out, but he wanted to be clear on the matter. "Well, yeah I guess it is a bit harder to deal with all that on my own but I'm not desperate or anything. I've got a few bags of rice left, but the dog won't eat unless I eat, and sometimes he still won't eat until I had too much and-"

"I'm not worried about the dog! It's stupid to have an animal in the first place if you can't even provide food for yourself!" Sanji snapped, thumping his fist on the desk. "Where is your brother? Isn't he sending you money?"

"I don't know where he is now, and the money thing stopped about a month ago," Luffy admitted, wringing his hands nervously. "I know I don't really have enough for the both of us all the time, but he's so smart! He saved me a couple of days ago, and he was close to starving to death, I couldn't leave him!"

Sanji sighed. "Listen, Luffy, this is a business, I can't be feeding you every day, but until Ace come back or starts sending you money again, I can let you eat a few meals here. I don't want any more of this hiding how bad things are. You're going to let me know when things get too rough, okay?"

"Fine," Luffy muttered, frowning up at Sanji with a look of defeat.

"And that dog… are you planning on keeping him? I'm not feeding both of you."

"He's going to stay as long as he wants. He can choose to come or go, but I'm waiting until he gets better…"

"You can't afford to manage two right now Luffy."

Luffy was silent for a moment, seemingly struggling to decide what he should do. Finally, the sound of the cooks screaming orders reached them through the office door and Luffy turned to leave.

"I have to get back to work…"

"Think about it," Sanji called after him, his voice apologetic.

Luffy didn't respond and left the room, leaving Sanji looking pain-stricken as he rubbed his temples.

Later that evening as Luffy and Zoro made their way back to Luffy's apartment by the light of the street lamps, Zoro began to lag behind, his heart heavy with the knowledge of what he would have to do. He had been thinking hard about what Sanji had said during their conversation and had weighed all the reasons why he should and shouldn't stay with Luffy. He wasn't surprised to find that there were more reasons to leave than stay, but he was annoyed at how sad he was about it.

It all came down to the fact that he was a hindrance to Luffy's welfare and Luffy really didn't need him. Sure, Luffy had gotten into a number of scuffles in the streets before, but he had certainly shown that he wasn't helpless in a fight. Zoro was just one more mouth to feed and that was something Luffy didn't need.

As Luffy pulled out his key and opened the door, Zoro didn't follow and stayed on the step with his tail hanging and his ears drooped. Luffy, noticing that Zoro wasn't following turned back in confusion.

"What is it, buddy?" his words were cheerful and curious, but his forced smile indicated he knew exactly what Zoro was doing. Zoro knew as much, and he didn't bother to vocalize his intentions in any way aside from giving Luffy a dejected stare. Luffy's smile faltered and his shoulders sagging unhappily.

"It's something Sanji said isn't it?"

"He made a lot of sense," Zoro sighed, nodding.

"Sanji's full of crap!" Luffy shouted suddenly, making Zoro jump. "Why does everyone think I need help all the time? I'm fine. Ace will be back soon, and I can handle working a couple more hours. I thought we were having fun together."

"You're a good kid, Luffy," Zoro said, wishing Luffy could understand him at that moment more than ever. "It was nice to have someone to hang out with for a change. But you don't need me, I'm not the kind of person who you need in your life right now. I've done things you could never forgive if you only knew. After all the time we've spent together I don't want my past to give you even more grief. I'm nothing more than a stray dog in this form, and maybe that's for the best. How much harm can I possibly do in this form after all, certainly not as much as I could before. Besides, the fox said I would have to sacrifice myself for the person I cared about most if I'm going to turn back into myself, but that means being with you is going to put you in danger you'll need to be saved from, and I'm not going to risk that. It's best for both of us if we just go our separate ways."

His speech done, Zoro paused and waited for Luffy to respond. Luffy had remained silent throughout Zoro's explanation, and even though there was no way to tell how much of it he had understood, at least he could tell that Zoro had made up his mind.

"You're serious about this then?" he asked, crouching to Zoro's eye level. Zoro nodded. "Then I guess this is goodbye for now, but maybe we can still see each other around. You'll stay in town at least, right?" he asked hopefully. "Maybe when I go to and from school? Or on my days off? Or you could come visit us at the restaurant?"

Zoro could only nod obligingly, his tail wagging gently, making Luffy grin.

"You're just the coolest and most amazing dog in the whole world, you know that?" Luffy marveled as he scratched the dog's ears, making Zoro's earing jingle cheerfully. Zoro didn't object this time and leaned into the scratch gratefully, knowing it would likely be his last. "I guess I'll see you around then," Luffy sighed as he finally got to his feet and turned to enter the building. He paused and glanced back. "I wish I could at least guess your name. I never could think of a good one, and a dog as smart as you must have a name."

"I guess that's just one more thing that proves this wasn't meant to be," Zoro said, as Luffy finally turned and closed the door behind him. He stayed sitting on the building's front steps for a few more minutes, his mind spinning with inner-conflict, determined to convince him he was making a mistake. Zoro's rational mind won out in the end, and he finally turned to leave, trotting down the dark, empty street towards the park where he would try to find a secluded bush to sleep under.

Two weeks had gone by without much excitement. Zoro had started out sticking to the park and alleys around Luffy's apartment building like he had in the months before he met him. He wasn't surprised to find a sandwich left near the site where he and Luffy had first met in one of the alleys near the park, but he left it alone. It was best for Luffy to forget about him and taking the offered food would just encourage him.

After a while he started to fan out, wandering the streets closer to the outskirts of the city. He found more food that way and there were less gangs getting in his way. The gangs he did meet he no longer ignored. He wasn't sure why, but for some reason he couldn't stomach being a passive bystander anymore. Any time he saw a person getting mugged or hassled by a group of slimy street punks, he made sure to make his presence, and displeasure, known.

By the end of the week, however, Zoro was growing anxious to check up on Luffy again. He started wandering back to the inner city, trying to convince himself that he was just going to see if Luffy's brother had returned yet and wouldn't allow Luffy to see him. Soon, he found himself waiting under his usual bush in the park, watching the path for any sign of Luffy as he made his way home from school.

Luffy didn't usually pass through the park on his way home, but Zoro hoped he might still be passing through to look for him. If Luffy didn't appear today, he would try to watch from the usual rout tomorrow. Once he could see that Luffy was safe with his own eyes, he'd leave the boy alone for good. It wouldn't do to prolong what Zoro felt he had to do eventually.

He sat under his bush for several minutes, watching the people go about their business, oblivious to his presence, but always keeping a wary eye on the path where he knew Luffy would appear. He was so focused on what was in front of him, that he was startled by a noose suddenly looping over his head and yanking him out from under the bush.

"Got ya! You damn demon dog!" Helmeppo the dog catcher shouted triumphantly, tightening the noose of his catch pole around Zoro's neck so he couldn't wriggle free.

"You again? It's been almost a month. Don't you ever give up?" Zoro growled. He was in considerably better shape than he had been last time he met the bratty blond dogcatcher and he was more than capable of overpowering the scrawny man on his own. He was just about to snatch the catchpole out of Helmeppo's hands and shake free when two more nooses fell over his head and tightened as well. Zoro grunted in surprise and turned to see that Helmeppo had brought reinforcements as two more men wielding catchpoles sneered at him from behind.

"You're not getting away this time, mutt, so I suggest you come quietly like a good boy." Helmeppo sneered in his winy voice.

"Like hell I am!" Zoro barked. He wriggled, trying to get at an angle where he could rush at one of them without getting strangled by the other two, but the three men were fanning out at three points all around him and pulling together, forcing Zoro to follow them or be unable to breathe. Zoro found himself being steered off the path towards a van waiting near the edge of the park and he struggled harder, feeling the nooses tighten as the three dogcatchers struggled to keep their hold on him. With a strangled yelp Zoro lunged and managed to unbalance Helmeppo, who teetered for a moment before pulling harder on his catchpole, completely cutting off Zoro's air. Zoro released a strangled gasp as he felt himself blacking out, but just as everything was going dark he heard an angry shout and felt one of the nooses loosen.

"Let him go!" A familiar voice shouted and Zoro's eyes regained focus to see Luffy yanking the catchpole out of Helmeppo's hands and snapping it over his knee. Zoro's heart soared one second, then fell the next. It felt wondrously good just to see Luffy's face again. At the same time though, this was exactly what he hadn't wanted to happen, to let Luffy catch sight of him and get his hopes up.

"What are you doing?" Helmeppo squawked, stamping his foot like a child as Luffy tossed the broken pieces of his catchpole away.

"Go away kid, this dog is dangerous!" one of the other men shouted, barely keeping his hold on Zoro now that Helmeppo wasn't holding him.

"That's my dog, let him go! you're choking him to death!" Luffy ordered.

"Your dog?" the other dog catcher laughed. "There's no way this monster of a dog could live in a stable household, Kid. Quit trying to cause trouble and let us dispose of this animal properly."

"He's living with me, and he's just fine!" Luffy insisted.

"If that's true, why isn't he wearing a collar?" Helmeppo demanded, grinning as if he had finally caught Luffy in his lie.

Luffy snorted. "You think I'd make him wear one of those dorky things!"

Helmeppo laughed. "Oh really!? Then what's this thing's name?"

"Name…?"

"Yes, you gave your dog a name didn't you, and if he's as tame as you claim he should come when he's called. Go ahead, call him."

Zoro was a bit afraid of this. He cast Luffy a pleading glare that Luffy would easily understand. "You had better come up with a good name, kid! Or I'll never forgive you!"

The two dogcatcher's still holding Zoro slowly loosened their nooses until Zoro was able to shake the wires off his head.

Luffy bent down without hesitation and smiled. "Zoro! Come here boy!"

Zoro could barely contain a bark of relief as he immediately lunged for the boy, allowing himself to be enclosed in Luffy's arms. "Good boy! Zoro!" Luffy laughed, hugging the dog around the neck.

"Zoro?!" Helmeppo scoffed. "Isn't that the name of that monster swordsman who disappeared a few months ago?"

"You're the one who just called my dog a monster, I'd say it fits him fine," Luffy retorted, rubbing his hands up and down Zoro's neck as both an affectionate gesture as well as comfort after his near strangling.

Helmeppo's lips formed a pout as he turned visibly red in the face. "Whatever, so he's your dog. But you better put a collar on that thing! If I see him on the streets without a license again I'm taking him to the pound and you're not getting him back."

"Fine, fine…" Luffy said, scoffing. "Come on Zoro, let's go home."

Zoro didn't object in the least and he cast the three pouting men a smug grin as he and Luffy walked casually out of the park.

When they were out of sight of the dogcatchers Luffy suddenly knelt down and hugged Zoro again, and Zoro was shocked to realize he was crying.

"What the heck, kid? It's not like I was going to let them actually get me into that van or anything," Zoro whimpered, uncomfortable with the boy's tears.

"I'm just… so glad you're here…" Luffy sobbed, and Zoro was relieved to hear the smile in his friend's voice despite the tears. After a few seconds, Luffy finally wiped his eyes dry and released Zoro, leaning back to look at him properly. "Do you like your name?"

"Of course!" Zoro laughed, wagging his tail in amusement.

Luffy giggled with relief and finally got to his feet when a stern look suddenly replaced his grin. "I'm glad. It looks like you're staying with me from now on so I don't want you to leave me again, understand Zoro?"

Zoro sighed patiently and nodded. "Don't worry, Luffy. If I remember correctly, I did say that if you found my real name that I would stay with you. So I don't exactly have a choice anymore."

Luffy grinned again and gestured for Zoro to follow him once more, leading the way back to the apartment.

"Sanji's going to be really mad when he finds out," Luffy sighed, making Zoro scoff.

"So what? It's not like he's your father or anything."

"He can't complain now anyway. Now that I've given you a name I have to keep you, the dogcatcher said so, right, Zoro?"

"Damn right!" Zoro barked, making Luffy burst out laughing as well.


	5. Chapter 5: Zoro of the Baratie

Hi guys! I've been getting so many favorites and follows it's crazy! I'm so glad so many of you are liking this story so far. I tried to wait for at least a week before I updated again but the chapter was done already anyway and I was too excited to wait. I'd love to hear more about what you think so please leave some reviews too :)

This is the chapter where my story truly becomes my own. I want to have a scene where Zoro encounters each of the Straw hat Characters throughout the story so this chapter has a 'getting to know Nami' bit at the end. I haven't quite figured out how each of them are going to play a part in the climax since Luffy and Zoro seem to spend the most time with Sanji, but I'll keep working on it. I have the next few chapters almost ready to post but after that it might take a bit longer between posts so don't get too used to it, sorry.

Hope you enjoy, and please remember to review, I want to know what you think :)

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Chapter 5: Zoro of the Baratie

Luffy was right about Sanji being mad about Zoro's reappearance when he showed up at the restaurant with Luffy the next evening. Despite his swearing and insults however, Zoro could almost feel a sense of relief coming from the cook. He wondered if something had happened to Luffy to make Sanji worry while he had been away and he was struck with a pang of guilt at having left Luffy in the first place.

Sanji didn't have long to express his displeasure about Zoro before Luffy asked if the dog could have a job. Zoro was just as surprised as Sanji was and Sanji immediately refuted the idea on the grounds that a dog being permitted to work in a restaurant of their status was unheard of. Not to mention the questionable breed witch even Zoro had to admit would likely scare customers away more than make them feel safer. After some cajoling from Luffy however, Sanji at least consented to allowing Zoro to accompany him to the restaurant when he was on shift so long as he stayed out of sight. This arrangement suited Zoro just fine and he quickly returned to his old routine of sleeping in the locker room while Luffy worked… until one day when nature's call came at a rather inconvenient time.

"Blast these damn paws!" Zoro growled, clawing at the door to the locker room desperately. "Seriously people, there's a dog in need of some assistance here!"

The door suddenly opened a crack and Sanji poked his head in, scowling down at Zoro. "What's wrong with you, Moss Monster?"

"Cut the crap Swirly Boy! I got'a drop one!" Zoro snapped and before Sanji could even attempt to try and understand what Zoro was saying Zoro pushed past him and dashed for the back door, only to be faced with the same problem. By now, Sanji seemed to have realized what the issue was and was taking his own sweet time utilizing his opposable thumbs for Zoro's benefit.

"Better hurry up Goldilocks or I'll crap right here on your pristine kitchen floor!" Zoro growled.

"Alright already," Sanji snickered, finally opening the door.

He closed the door once Zoro was out and Zoro had a feeling he wasn't going to be obliged to let him in again once he was finished his business, but that was hardly something he cared about at that moment. He hated having to use the alleyway to do his business. He'd been using the toilet at Luffy's apartment since he moved in with him, much to Luffy's amusement, and amazement. The only washroom in the Baratie was the one off the dining hall however, and Sanji wouldn't let him be seen by customers, so the alley would have to do.

Once the crises had been averted and his body was finally cleansed, Zoro found himself sitting alone in the back alley behind the restaurant, waiting for Luffy to notice his absence or finish his shift. He wasn't particularly bothered by it, but it was considerably harder to nap on the cold cement than in the warm locker room and he was getting very board.

It was his inability to sleep that allowed Zoro to notice the rather sinister presence that had appeared at the end of the alley. He pricked his ears and sniffed suspiciously as he counted two strangers huddling at the mouth of the alley, talking in hushed voices over the sound of passing cars on the street beyond.

"You sure this is the place?" one guy was saying, sounding nervous.

"Positive, he comes to this restaurant every Tuesday for dinner with his daughter. All we got'a do is wait for their cab to come, pop him one, and get out of there before anyone can snag us. It'll be a piece of cake," the second man snickered

"Shut up! There he is!" the first guy hushed. The two guys dipped their hands into their jackets as if reaching for their weapons.

Zoro didn't know who their target was, but he wasn't going to wait around in the alley until he found out. With a thunderous bark Zoro lunged at the nearest man, knocking him out into the open and sending the gun he had been drawing out of his coat skittering onto the road.

A middle aged man who had been helping his teenaged daughter into their cab yelped in alarm and ducked as the second thug jumped out of hiding and aimed his own gun. Zoro was quicker though, and he rammed into the gunman's legs, knocking them out from under him just as a shot rang out. The man's aim was thrown off and the bullet pinged harmlessly off the stone archway above the main entrance to the restaurant. The man screamed and was sent crashing backwards on the pavement where he cracked his head and remained still.

The first man had gotten over his shock at Zoro's earlier attack and scrambled to his feet, looking as if he wanted to make an escape rather than try to fight now that their plan had been foiled. Zoro spun around and dashed after him, snapping his teeth at the man's ankles and he tripped with a cry of alarm. Zoro pounced and knocked the man flat on his face, pinning him with his full, one hundred-eighty pounds of pure, dog muscle. Zoro kept the man there until Sanji, Luffy, and a bunch of frightened customers ran out of the restaurant, leaping to action to help restrain the two men and help the victims.

The man the two thugs had been targeting had fallen back onto the pavement with his arms over his head and was only now getting to his feet as his daughter and some concerned customers asked if he was alright. Some other customers relieved Zoro of guard duty in the meantime, securing the thug's wrists together with some rope and heaving him to his feet.

Luffy, seeing Zoro in the middle of everything ran up to meet him, his eyes bright with barely contained excitement.

"Zoro, what happened?"

Zoro could only shrug, nodding at the panic and confusion around them. It was the targeted man who pushed forward next.

"You there! Young man!" Luffy and Zoro both looked up at the man, whose face was red and patchy from the shock of almost being murdered. His daughter, a pretty young teen with flowing blue hair, was supporting him with her arms wrapped around his chest in a semi-hug-lift. "Is that your dog?"

"Zoro?" Luffy blinked in confusion, "uh, yeah I guess, why?"

"I would like to thank your dog for saving me and my daughter from those men. I honestly believe I would be dead right now if it weren't for him."

"Yes, thank you so much!" the girl sobbed, pressing her face into her father's shoulder, grinning tearfully.

"Oh, okay, cool!" Luffy laughed, grinning. Sanji burst through the crowd then, looking flushed and out of breath. He turned to the would-be victim and bowed deeply in apology.

"Mr. Nefertari Sir! Miss Vivi! I'm exceedingly sorry for what has happened here. I never would have imagined these low lives dare bother our restaurant."

"That is quite alright," Mr. Nefertari sighed, though his voice was still quite shaky. He turned back and nodded towards Zoro. "It's a good thing you have such a skilled guard dog to keep these alleyways safe."

"But he's-" Luffy was going to say that Zoro wasn't the restaurant's guard dog, but Sanji intervened, elbowing Luffy in the ribs sharply.

"Of course, Luffy! That's why I told you to bring him. I just knew having Zoro as a guard dog was a good idea," Sanji chuckled loudly.

Zoro rolled his eyes at the cowardly move, but he wasn't displeased with the outcome.

Once all the commotion had died down and the customers had gone home. Sanji brought Luffy and Zoro into the office to discuss Zoro's employment.

"You're a dog, so don't expect the salary of an actual bouncer. I'm willing to add the maximum pay-raise to Luffy's salary and you two can figure out how you want to work that out between you. I don't want the old man finding out if I can help it and a mysterious paycheck to a guy named after some freaky swordsman is bound to get him suspicious. Got it?"

Luffy and Zoro both nodded. Luffy was grinning like a child who'd just been told he's going to Disneyland and Zoro couldn't help but puff his chest out proudly. It felt good to be earning his own way so he wouldn't have to depend on Luffy as much anymore. He hadn't had an honest job in years, it was strange to think he'd get one now as a dog.

Things began to change very rapidly for Zoro within the next couple of days. As the new bouncer, Zoro was required to be on watch outside the restaurant during his shift. Luffy refused to allow him to sit outside without some form of shelter and comfort so Sanji had a simple but well-crafted doghouse constructed near the patio gate. There, Zoro would be able to observe customers as they came and went as well as keep an eye on passersby for suspicious behavior while sheltering in relative comfort.

At first, just as Sanji had originally feared, few new customers were willing to risk so much as passing near Zoro to enter the restaurant. Some of the regulars who had been present the day of Zoro's defining rescue however, including Mr. Nefertari himself, quickly spread the word of Zoro's heroism and soon customers began to return. Some people even came to see Zoro specifically. One family claimed they were too afraid to take their children to any other restaurant in the neighborhood, but when they saw their toddler climbing all over Zoro's back as he lay patiently at his post they declared they would be coming regularly. Most still kept a wary eye on Zoro as they arrived, but it quickly became apparent that he was harmless so long as the customers behaved themselves.

Zoro didn't mind the job nearly as much as he had expected. It was simple enough to do, all he had to do was lay in his warm station and watch for troublemakers, which he rarely saw. If he did see someone that looked like they were up to no good, he got up, stood in the patio gateway at his full height and made his presence known. Anyone with thoughts of causing trouble for the restaurant or its customers would scuttle away really quick once they realized who was guarding it. Sanji even opened the patio to customers, something he claimed he hadn't been able to do in years with the rise in crime in their neighborhood. With Zoro watching over them, customers felt safe eating in the cool fall air again and business was booming. To Zoro, the job was certainly more interesting than staying cooped up in the cramped locker room for hours on end, and Luffy got to bring home a hefty paycheck at the end of the week.

Since he was no longer locked in the back room, Zoro also began to get acquainted with some of the other Baratie employees. Patty and Carne were the two other cooks who worked under Sanji in the kitchen. They were both large, burly men with very little to say that wasn't shouting or swearing. They seemed to have the same irritated acceptance that Sanji had when it came to their new bouncer since their jobs had very little to do with him.

The cashier and co-waitress who ran the front counter and rang up orders was a loud, haughty young woman named Nami. She loved money and her bright orange hair always smelled of citrus. She worked as the restaurant's accountant as well so she was often seen counting the money in the cash register and even caressing it lovingly before returning it to its drawers. Other than that, she was usually flicking her bright orange hair and flashing teasing smiles at the male customers to get bigger tips. Her first opinion of Zoro was that no such animal could possibly be trusted to keep customers safe. At Luffy's insistence however, she gradually consented to at least accept him as one more person to boss around.

One employee Zoro found particularly intriguing as well as exceedingly annoying was the part-time musician that frequently provided the entertainment during the night shifts. He was an eight-foot tall older man named Brook with a large black afro and a hippie rock star attitude. Zoro couldn't deny that Brook was a fantastic musician, but the continuous requests to see female customers' panties certainly lost him a few tips during the intermissions.

Zoro and Luffy's relationship hadn't changed in the least, which Zoro was relieved by. He had worried that so many weeks apart may have caused Luffy to think differently about trusting him, but if anything Luffy trusted Zoro even more. It boggled Zoro's mind how the kid could be so happy all the time when he had next to nothing. The cook had kept his word and was letting Luffy eat a meal or two each week at the restaurant as well as take any leftovers that may have been produced which was making a bigger difference than even he probably realized. The addition of Zoro's paycheck meant Luffy could buy some actual fruits and vegetables rather than just rice which he had been almost living off of before. Luffy even came home with a huge slab of fresh meat one day and the two of them shared it greedily. Luffy was looking happier and healthier than Zoro had ever seen him, and Zoro, for his part, could tell that he too was starting to feel the effects that regular meals and good sleep could have on his body.

After a week, when Zoro could see what a difference his participation was making for Luffy, he decided to take on more hours at the restaurant on his own. After managing to convince Sanji, he arranged his shifts so that he could walk Luffy to school, do a six hour shift at the restaurant, pick Luffy up and return for Luffy's shift later that night. Luffy was against the extra work at first, claiming Zoro was too overworked already, but Zoro just scoffed and gave him a reprimanding nip on the leg for his complaining. Luffy had been doing the same thing for months anyway. Besides, the extra money gave Luffy a chance to take actual days off and now he and Zoro enjoyed Saturday completely work free, something Luffy hadn't been able to do in almost three months.

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Zoro's employment did not solve the one problem that both Zoro and Luffy had been dreading. Unless Zoro was equipped with some form of identification with an address Luffy would not be able to prevent the dogcatchers taking him to the pound again if he ever got caught. Zoro was certain he could avoid them well enough on his own, but Luffy thought the risk of losing him was too great to ignore any longer. Begrudgingly, the two of them found themselves wasting one of their newly earned days off perusing the available selection of dog collars at the local strip mall pet shop. Luffy studied the leather, camo, and metal studded straps with a wrinkled nose.

"I don't know," Luffy sighed, his shoulders drooping as if he was exhausted. "None of them seem right, they're all too… doggish."

Zoro grunted an agreement, his ears pinned in annoyance at his current situation. The lady behind the counter cast them nervous glances, apparently too wary of Zoro to bother offering her assistance.

Luffy was about to pull down a plain black leather collar for Zoro's opinion when a familiar orange-haired woman spotted them from outside the store.

"Luffy?" she called, sounding almost indignant. Luffy looked up and grinned when he recognized Nami.

"Nami!" he called, waving enthusiastically, skipping amiably towards his colleague.

"What are you doing here?" Nami asked, glancing dubiously past Luffy to see Zoro watching from the collar rack where he'd been left.

Luffy's gleeful smile morphed into an irritated pout. "Well, the dog catchers said that if I don't get Zoro a collar they'll take him away. I can't let that happen so we came here to get him one, but none of them are right." Luffy held a hand out to Zoro as if to demonstrate his point.

Nami scoffed and crossed her arms. "What does it matter what they look like? He's just a dog, it's not like he cares."

Zoro rumbled irritably at her tone and Nami flinched nervously as Luffy retorted, "Zoro's not just an ordinary dog, he's my friend! I don't want him to have to wear one of these dorky things." He mimicked her crossed arms indignantly.

Nami stepped past Luffy towards the collar rack and pulled down a dark green leather collar. "Well, just pick out a solid colored one, that shouldn't look too dorky."

"Zoro says he doesn't like any of those," Luffy deadpanned.

"How would you know?" Nami rolled her eyes.

"Because he told me, he's smart, remember?" Luffy rolled his eyes as if Nami was the one being ridiculous now.

Nami sighed in exasperation casting Zoro a doubtful glance which was quickly replaced by a thoughtful frown. "Does it have to be a collar? Or could it just be something to display his name and address?" She asked after a moment.

Luffy shrugged. "Well, I guess it just needs to be something with his name and address, but how can we do that without a collar?"

Nami's face split into an unexpectedly pleasant smirk. "I know just the thing." She suddenly reached out and grabbed Luffy by the wrist. "Come with me, you too Zoro!" she tugged Luffy out of the store before he could protest. Surprised, Zoro trotted after them as Nami continued to drag Luffy across the mall towards a small fashion accessory shop.

Leaving Luffy near a rack of scarves and hats, Nami dashed into the store and quickly returned with a large piece of black fabric in her hands.

"If a regular collar is too doggish for you, then how about a bandana?" she asked, proudly holding the cloth out to reveal a simple black bandana that was large enough to fit around Zoro's thick neck. Luffy eyes lit up.

"That would be perfect! Way better than a collar!"

Nami knelt next to Zoro and held the bandana out to him as if asking for permission to put in on. Willing to try it, Zoro shrugged and lifted his head so she would have better access to tie it around his neck. Once it was on, he turned and glanced at himself in one of the full body mirrors. He had to admit, it didn't look half bad.

"What do you think? Not bad, huh?" Nami tittered, grinning smugly at Luffy.

"Way better than a collar!" Luffy agreed. A moment later however, his face fell and he frowned thoughtfully again. "But, how are we going to put his name and address on it?"

Nami grinned, seemingly having thought of the solution to that problem already.

"Leave that to me." She leaned down and removed the bandana from around Zoro's neck. "You come to work tonight and I'll have it ready. Trust me it will be perfect."

Luffy cast Zoro a bemused frown, but saw no reason not to trust her judgment.

Later that night as Zoro and Luffy arrived at work, Nami spotted them right away through the front doors and disappeared into the back room before they had even entered the restaurant. Seconds later, she reappeared holding the black bandana folded neatly in the palm of her two hands as if it was some royal gift and held it out so the two boys could see it.

"Tada! One stylish new collar with Zoro's name and address, ready to go!" Nami declared. Zoro didn't think Luffy's eyes could get any wider nor his smile any brighter.

"Woah! Zoro, do you see that?! It's awesome!"

Zoro perked his ears and nodded, in approval. Nami had carefully stitched his name and address in shimmering gold thread across the hem of the bandana near the point where it could easily be seen. The stitching was thin enough, however, that it wasn't at all garish or feminine, and it matched Zoro's earrings perfectly.

It was impressive handy work for having been done so quickly. He held up his head again to allow Nami to tie it around his neck once more.

"I expect you to be wearing this from now on, Zoro," Nami said, crossing her arms in all seriousness. "The last thing the Baratie needs is to be breaking their employees out of dog prison for not having the proper identification."

Zoro snorted, as if he cared what happened to the restaurant. He could handle the dogcatchers without needing a collar. If wearing this bandana would mean he was less trouble to Luffy though, he would live with it.

Zoro did wear the bandana from then on, not that anyone who didn't know him was brave enough to read what it said. People seemed to treat him differently though, especially at the restaurant. New customers didn't seem so nervous around him, seeming to sense the legitimacy of his position just by that small mark of belonging. He could no longer be mistaken for a street mutt in the eyes of the public, whether they trusted him or not. Nami herself treated him with a lot less hostility as well. Certainly, she couldn't dismiss a creature that had been subjected to her own fashion sense after all.

Most importantly, Zoro was finally legally a member of society again. The next time he and Luffy were hanging out at the park, however, he couldn't help casting Helmeppo a smug grin when he spotted him walking down the path. Holding his head up high to show off the bandana as if it were a badge of honor, Zoro had never felt so entitled in his life.


	6. Chapter 6: Helpless Waiting

Allrighty everyone! I bet some of you have been wondering where the trouble is. What kind of help does Luffy need from Zoro as described in the description? Well you're about to find out.

As usual, One Piece isn't mine. And enjoy!

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Chapter 6: Helpless Waiting

Zoro couldn't believe it had only been a month since he met Luffy. It seemed as if they had always known each other. He was beginning to forget what it had been like to be alone on the streets as a human. That feeling of loneliness that had been a constant ache in his heart since his childhood was gone, replaced by a new sense of purpose and devotion. He no longer cared for fighting street thugs for the pleasure of combat, he had even forgotten the feeling of his swords, clenched firmly in his two human hands. All that mattered to him now, was protecting Luffy, and if he had to tear up anyone who got in his way to do that, so be it.

Not that Luffy needed a lot of protection. Zoro had to admit the kid was pretty capable of handling anyone who wanted to mess with him on his own. Zoro had never seen a kid move with such elastic speed and deadly strength before, especially considering how small and gangly the young teen was. That didn't change the way Zoro's blood boiled whenever he saw some jacked up punk try to stop them in the streets, though.

It wasn't the fighting that Zoro appreciated though, it was their down time together. Now that they had more time away from work Zoro could truly appreciate the time spent with Luffy just watching TV or playing ball at the park. They were activities Zoro had never really been interested in, and he wasn't sure if it was just because he hadn't bothered to try before, or because they were less enjoyable alone.

Regardless of how enjoyable their free time was, Zoro wanted to be useful to Luffy and the best way to do that was to work. So, after a long and restful weekend, even Zoro was looking forward to the coming week when Monday rolled around again. Luffy had managed to get all his homework done over the weekend so the two of them allowed themselves a short sleep in. For the first time in months Luffy got ready to start the day with a quick breakfast of actual cereal and fruit before it was time to leave. Zoro grinned to himself as he watched his young friend scurry around his small apartment, tossing his school things into his blue backpack with an extra spring in his step.

"Better hurry up, Zoro or we're going to be late!" Luffy laughed as he grabbed his backpack and ran for the door. Zoro huffed but his tail wagged good-naturedly and trotted after him. He sensed the presence on the other side of the door an instant before Luffy threw it open and almost ran into a strange man standing on the landing.

"Woah!" Luffy gasped and leapt back, startled. The man seemed just as surprised by Luffy's sudden appearance, his fist still poised to knock on the now open door. Zoro immediately felt the fur on the back of his neck prickle uncomfortably as he sensed the imposing power that seemed to emanate from the man. He was tall and slim, but well muscled with messy blond hair that spiked like a pineapple out of the top of his head and sleepy blue eyes. He looked calm but at the same time Zoro got the feeling he wasn't here for friendly business and the dog pinned his ears suspiciously.

"Uh… Luffy?" the man asked, finally lowering his hand now that there was no need to knock.

"Huh? Yeah. Hey, don't I know you?" Luffy scratched his head, deep in thought for a moment before his eyes lit up in recognition. "You're one of Ace's friends, right? Markus or something?"

"Marco," the man chuckled lightly. "I'm surprised you remember me."

Zoro's heart thundered in alarm. Marco? Marco the phoenix? He'd heard of this guy. He was a deadly fighter of the whitebeard gang and was known for surviving ten assassination attempts. He'd been shot, poisoned, stabbed and even drowned once, but each time he was found alive and was able to fully recover. People called him the man that couldn't be killed, a phoenix who resurrected every time he died. Luffy's brother was associated with someone of his caliber?

"Oh yeah, Marco! How've you been?" Luffy giggled, seemingly not noticing the man's strained smile.

"Oh, I've been fine. I wonder… if you wouldn't mind letting me in for a minute so we could talk about something?" Marco glanced nervously down the hall in both directions as he spoke. Luffy frowned in confusion but stepped aside, allowing Marco to come in and closed the door behind him. "Thanks," Marco sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets with another strained smile.

Luffy led the way into the living room and hopped onto the couch, allowing Marco to grab a chair and sit across from him. Zoro padded in after them and situated himself defensively between the two, casting Marco a warning glare that made the man frown nervously.

"That's quite the dog you have there," Marco muttered, nodding at Zoro.

"That's Zoro, he's been taking care of me while Ace is away," Luffy explained, giving Zoro a gentle pat on the head. Marco coughed uncomfortably.

"That's… sort of who I've come to talk to you about," he admitted.

"What?"

"I have a message for you, from Ace," Marco explained.

"What!?" Luffy shouted and almost leapt out of his seat. Marco's hand shot out and covered Luffy's mouth as he made a desperate shushing sound. Zoro got to his feet, alarmed by the man's speed and the fact that he had touched Luffy, but Luffy fell silent and Marco removed his hand just as quickly.

"Not so loud, kid! People can't know I'm here or there could be trouble!"

"What do you mean? Where's Ace? Is he okay? Is he coming home?" Luffy demanded, his voice still excited though considerably quieter. Marco shook his head regrettably.

"You need to listen to me very carefully Luffy, because this is very important… Ace has been arrested for Thatch's murder-"

"WHAT!?"

"Shhhhhhhh!"

Luffy had all but leapt from his seat, his eyes wide in horror and disbelief. Marco looked like he was doing all he could just to keep from pinning the distraught boy to the couch.

"But Ace didn't murder Thatch! That Teach guy did, Blackbeard or whatever his name is!" Luffy insisted, the sound of mortified tears causing his voice to crack. Marco nodded, lifting his hands in placating gesture.

"I know. We all know. Listen kid, I can't give you all the details, but somehow Teach managed to frame Ace to make it look like he killed Thatch. Now he's sending all of us messages that if we try anything to get Ace out, he'll rat on us too."

"What do you mean?" Luffy whimpered, his lip trembling.

Marco sighed, shaking his head patiently. "We're a gang, kid. Our business doesn't always include sticking to the law. Teach has been part of our chain for years and he's got plenty of stuff to give the police that could have most of us arrested on the spot. Teach has us all at his mercy. The police want him to give them names and as long as he does he's got immunity. The only way we can stay free is if we let him get away with it and let Ace take the blame."

"That dirty, stinking, coward!" Luffy snarled. Zoro didn't blame him, it was a spineless move but it had given this Teach guy a position of power that both kept him safe from the law and by the sounds of it there was very little Ace's friends could do about it. "Where is he? I'll clobber him for framing Ace and threatening his friends!"

"Don't be stupid!" Marco scolded suddenly, surprising Luffy into silence with his stern voice. "You're in more danger than any of us if Teach figures out who you are. You're Ace's alibi, you were with him the night Thatch was killed. But Teach and his guys have already killed or otherwise gotten rid of anyone else who could have spoken for Ace so Ace asked me to come and tell you not to get involved no matter what. Don't try to contact him, don't stir up trouble, don't try to get to Teach. For now, Teach doesn't know where you are, so long as you don't draw attention to yourself you should be fine."

"As if!" Luffy snapped, leaping to his feet. "I'm going to show the police what kind of guy Blackbeard really is and get Ace out of prison."

"No, Luffy!" Marco hissed, actually standing up and shoving Luffy back onto the couch this time. "I promised Ace I'd keep you safe and I intend to keep that promise." Luffy glared up at him and Marco sighed, sitting down across from Luffy once more. "Ace is like our brother too, Luffy, so do as I say and just let the rest of us handle this, okay? We'll find a way to get him out, I promise."

Luffy looked positively wretched as he nodded, his eyes swelling with angry tears and his hands trembling in his lap. Zoro was desperate to do something, anything that might comfort his friend, but he was at a loss. Marco sat across from Luffy for several seconds, allowing everything he had just told him to sink in before he sighed and got to his feet once more.

"I'd better go. I've been here too long as it is. Keep the door locked from now on, Luffy. Don't open it for anyone you don't know and be careful who you trust. Don't go out into the streets alone at night and don't take any risks. You still working at Sanji's restaurant?"

Luffy nodded, seeming to be in the calm acceptance stage of his tragic situation.

"Good, he can keep an eye on you when you're there. I'll send him a bit of a warning in case Teach tries to bring up his past dealings with Ace as well."

When Luffy didn't respond, Marco sighed and turned to leave. "Good luck, Luffy, and don't worry about Ace. We'll get him out, I promise." With that, Marco strode across the room and left, cautiously glancing both ways down the hall before he closed the door behind him. Luffy stood up after a few seconds and locked the door after him, his feet shuffling as if he was exhausted. Zoro knew there was no way Luffy was going to school now and prepared himself for a long day. As soon as the door was locked Luffy shuffled back to the couch and sat down again, his face blank and emotionless despite his flushed cheeks and red eyes. Zoro touched his knee with his nose tentatively.

"Luffy?" He cringed at the desolate glance Luffy gave him and almost stepped away. Such a look was wrong, it didn't belong on Luffy's carefree, innocent face. Zoro sat down beside his friend and offered him a comforting nudge again but this time Luffy pulled away, rolling to the side and falling onto the couch with his knees pulled up to his chest.

And there he stayed for the rest of the day. Zoro waited patiently, determined to be there when Luffy needed him. It wasn't long before Luffy's phone started to vibrate, likely Sanji asking where Zoro was since he hadn't shown up for his day shift. Luffy ignored it and rolled over, pulling the blanket off the back of the couch and covering his head with it. Zoro knew Sanji wouldn't let up so easily when Luffy didn't show up for his shift later that evening. He would likely be mad at first, but if Luffy still refused to answer his phone he'd get worried, maybe even send someone to check on Luffy. As annoying as the chef was Zoro had to appreciate how much he cared for Luffy's well-being.

Zoro, for his part, would give the boy time. He was traumatized, and he needed time to process his situation alone. In the meantime, Zoro lay beside the couch below Luffy and watched the door, listening for any sign of someone approaching from the hall. He knew it was unlikely Luffy was in any danger just yet. Marco had assured him that this Teach guy didn't know about Luffy, but the knowledge that there was someone out there who would hurt Luffy made him restless just the same.

As Zoro expected, when late afternoon came around and Luffy had failed to show up for work, Sanji started texting again. Luffy ignored it, but Zoro sat up and glanced at the screen of Luffy's phone curiously.

' _Where R U?_ ' was all it said. An hour later, another text was ignored by Luffy, but Zoro glanced at the screen to see that Sanji was starting to get worried.

' _R U ok? Answer my txt if U R._ '

He tried phoning next, but Luffy let it ring, the phone vibrations sounding like sirens after so long in silence. By the time it was nearing ten in the evening Zoro was getting worried. He glanced up at Luffy, concerned that he hadn't moved all day, even to eat. Luffy had turned over again so that he was facing the room, but his blank, emotionless expression hadn't changed. Zoro stood up and frowned at Luffy.

"Oi, you got'a move at some point, kid," Zoro grunted, nudging Luffy with his nose. Luffy didn't respond. Zoro pinned his ears in frustration. "I get it, you're concerned about your brother, but lying here isn't going to change anything. Ace wouldn't want you to be like this." Still no response. Zoro growled. "At least respond when I'm speaking to you!"

Luffy finally blinked and his eyes turned to focus on Zoro blearily. Zoro kept glaring at him, keeping his black eyes fixed on Luffy's own large brown ones. The sound of feet running down the hall outside broke their eye contact and Zoro jumped in alarm, turning to face the door as his tail and back bristled nervously. A loud knock reverberated through the apartment and Luffy lifted his head, apparently aware enough at least to recognize when someone was at the door.

"Luffy!?" a familiar voice shouted through the door. "You home? It's me, Sanji!"

When Luffy dropped his head back down and ignored him Zoro barked in reply. "Get in here Crap Cook and get this kid up, he's completely out of it!"

Sanji tried the knob at the sound of Zoro's bark and swore when he realized it was locked. "Luffy, I know you're in there, you need to let me in!" Sanji ordered, jiggling the knob fiercely.

Zoro trotted to the door and scratched at it in frustration cursing the fox for the first time in almost a month for ridding him of hands when Luffy needed him to have them the most. Zoro clawed at the lock, working his paws around the metal latch until it he felt it give way slightly. He tried his teeth instead and it turned even more.

"Zoro?" Sanji called, sounding worried for the first time. "Is Luffy okay, Zoro? Bark once if he is, twice if he's not."

Zoro barked twice without hesitation. Luffy may not be hurt but he needed someone to talk some sense into him and Zoro couldn't get through to him. He continued to wine and scratch at the door, working at the latch until he heard it click and Sanji hissed triumphantly from the other side. The older teen finally pushed the door open and peered in, looking around for any sign of trouble before he spotted Luffy lying motionless on the couch. Zoro, having finally gotten the human friend into the apartment, trotted back to Luffy's side and nudged his shoulder again. When Luffy didn't respond Zoro turned to Sanji with an impatient huff.

"Well? Hurry up Crap Cook, the kid hasn't moved all day, what if something's actually wrong with him!"

Sanji closed the door behind him and walked up to Luffy's side next to Zoro. "Oi, you missed work," Sanji said, sounding almost casual. Zoro wanted to snap that it wasn't a time to be worrying about his stupid restaurant when Luffy shifted, moving his arm up to tuck the blanket deeper under his chin. Sanji continued in the same quiet, conversational tone. "I saw Marco today." That alone was enough to make Luffy finally glance up at Sanji with wide, bloodshot eyes, full of such sorrow and fear that even Sanji looked horrified at the sight of him. "I take it you haven't been up to doing much today," Sanji continued. "How long have you been lying there?"

Zoro whimpered, pinning his ears in concern and making Sanji frown.

"It's time to get up now, Luffy." When Luffy made no move to obey, Sanji stepped forward, bent down and grabbed the boy by the front of his shirt, dragging him up into a sitting position. "Enough moping, you're being a baby!" Sanji snapped, giving Luffy a firm shake. Zoro, realizing what Sanji was trying to do, relaxed and stepped back. Luffy was a touchy-feely kind of person, if gentle words and kind gestures weren't getting through to him, he'd probably put up some hefty walls. Sanji had to break through them and a bit of tough love was the only way to do it.

Apparently it was working and Luffy reached his hand up to wrench Sanji's grip loose. "Leave me alone," he muttered. Sanji swatted the hand away and shook him once more.

"No! Snap out of it Luffy! Don't you dare shut me out, what's gotten into you?"

"I can't do anything," Luffy moaned, turning his head to stare up at Sanji tragically.

"What are you talking about?"

"For Ace… I can't do anything. I'm weak and useless, just like I've always been. I thought I was getting stronger, but I'm just as useless as ever. Now Ace is in trouble and I still can't do a thing."

"And you think lying here moping is going to do Ace any good? Sheesh, Luffy, I knew you were dense but even you have more spirit than that." Sanji growled under his breath and gave Luffy one final shove, propping him up against the back of the couch so he wouldn't fall down again. "Get up, Luffy! Get up and do something, you're not some helpless little twerp anymore. You've been fine without Ace up to now, you'll do fine without him until we get him out, now move!"

Luffy frowned up at Sanji but finally obeyed, dropping his feet to the floor and heaving himself up to stand in front of him. Sanji crossed his arms and looked him over, nodding approvingly.

"Good. You hungry?" Luffy blinked in surprise at the question and Sanji's rather sudden change in demeanor, but after a few seconds he nodded. "Come on then." Sanji turned and made for the door. "The old man's closing early tonight, I'll cook you up something and you can stay with me for a few days."

Luffy glanced down at Zoro, his eyes softening as if he was only just then realizing he was there. "What about Zoro?" he asked, his voice still sounding weak and unsure. Sanji scowled and looked down at the large green dog, who gave him an irritated growl.

"I don't really have a choice, do I?" Sanji sighed, shrugging.

Zoro was relieved when he and Luffy finally followed Sanji out of the apartment and locked the door behind them. Luffy had packed his school bag with a couple changes of clothes and a toothbrush and Sanji steered him out of the apartment as if he were sleepwalking. After a few blocks Luffy seemed to have perked up somewhat and even made some small talk with Sanji. He clearly hadn't completely recovered but at least the wall that he had built around himself was crumbling and he was opening up once again.

By the time they got to the restaurant, Luffy was smiling gently. Sanji opened the back door and led him and Zoro up a staircase behind the storage room to the living quarters on the upper floor where he and his foster father lived. It was there that Zoro met the famous chef and ex-gangster Redleg Zeff for the first time. The man was older, seemingly in his early to mid-sixties, with blond hair tucked up under a ridiculously tall chef's hat and a long mustache that was pulled into two wild braids that stuck out in either direction. His other more noticeable feature was his missing leg, replaced by a wooden peg Zoro suspected was homemade judging by the carving marks in the wood. He was still wearing his apron and had work documents spread out all over the table in front of him. He looked up when they entered and gave Zoro a knowing smirk.

"So this must be the new bouncer you've hired that I've been hearing so much about."

Sanji went pale and frowned. Apparently he hadn't realized that Zeff knew he had hired Zoro. "You got a problem with me hiring some extra security? It's not like he's in the kitchen serving up orders or anything."

Zeff chuckled. "Don't get your knickers in a bunch, Squirt. I've been hearing good things about that dog, even if he is a mutant-horse-beast. Although I wasn't expecting him to be joining us along with your friend here."

Luffy placed a defensive hand on Zoro's shoulder. "Zoro's my friend, Mr. Zeff. I don't go anywhere without him."

Zeff sighed, smiling slightly and nodded. "Fair enough. And how are you doing this fine evening, Luffy was it?"

"My brother's been arrested for a murder he didn't commit," Luffy responded bleakly. Zeff pursed his lips thoughtfully at that.

"Ah, right I heard about that. I guess it wasn't quite the right question to be asking just yet. I should have asked, how are you handling it so far?"

Zoro didn't think the second question was any better than the first and he made a low rumble of indignation in his throat.

"Quit pestering him, Geezer," Sanji snapped, shoving past the old man. "Come on, Luffy, I'll make us some dinner." Luffy followed him obediently and the three of them went into the kitchen.

Luffy sat down at a little table in the corner of the kitchen while Sanji set to work. Zoro didn't know much about cooking beyond boiling a pot of water but he could tell that Sanji had skill as he watched the chef chop, scrape, sprinkle and fry until a hot sizzling plate of pork noodles and steamed vegetables were placed in front of each of them. Luffy seemed to melt at the sight of it and he dug right in, ignoring the heat as he shoveled forkfuls of food into his mouth. Zoro managed to restrain himself more, eating at the same pace as Sanji, but he had to agree that the meal was delicious, especially after a whole day without eating.

It was getting late by then and Zoro could tell by Luffy's half lidded eyes that despite all the time he had spent lying on the couch that day he was exhausted. Zeff had already gone to bed and Sanji quickly set up the fold-out couch for Luffy with some clean sheets and a quilt before turning in for the night himself. Zoro was going to sleep on the floor but Luffy patted the empty half of the bed next to him and he begrudgingly obliged. The moment Zoro lowered himself onto the mattress he felt Luffy's arm snake around his neck and bury his face in his fur.

"I'm sorry, Zoro," Luffy muttered quietly, his voice warbling with the threat of tears.

"For what?" Zoro whimpered, flicking his ears.

"You were right. I shouldn't have blanked out like that. Thanks for sticking with me all this time."

"All I did was wait," Zoro huffed, laying his head back down dismissively.

Luffy sighed, his eyes finally closing. "Thanks for waiting then."

Zoro's heart skipped a beat. He was used to the fact that Luffy understood him better than most, but there were times when his perceptiveness was almost frightening. How did Luffy understand him so well? Luffy didn't say anything more and Zoro sighed with relief at the sound of his smooth, steady breathing.

 _'Hopefully we've gotten through the worst of it,'_ Zoro thought to himself. ' _Ace, you'd better come out of this okay or I'll never forgive you.'_


	7. Chapter 7: Their First Meeting

Hey guys, I've been getting some wonderful reviews and I'm so glad people are enjoying my story so much. It's funny, I've had little bits and piece of this story finished for quite some time, but it wasn't until I actually started posting it that I really got motivated to finish it. It's still quite a ways to go but I promise I'll keep working on it.

As usual, I don't own One Piece, and for those of you who have read Loyal you may notice some similarities in this chapter. This is the very last scene that I borrowed from Loyal though, (I think), so I don't think I'll need to disclaim that again after this.

Once again, I love to hear what you guys think. Any questions? Observations? Suggestions? If you think of a way I could incorporate some more one piece characters I'd be curious to see what you think of.

Enjoy:)

* * *

Chapter 7: Their First Meeting

Luffy and Zoro stayed with Sanji and Zeff for the rest of the week. After the first few nights Zoro couldn't help but observe the dysfunctional relationship between Zeff and Sanji. They argued a lot, and Zoro got the feeling they tolerated each other out of obligation more than anything. According to Sanji, the reason Zeff was so rarely around was because he was trying to open a second restaurant across the city and it was taking up a lot of his time. He had left Sanji in charge of the Baratie until things got settled there and Sanji had the feeling it would end up being a permanent arrangement at the rate things were going, not that he minded. It became very clear that Sanji felt he owed Zeff for taking him in however, and despite his complaining he truly respected the man.

Sanji had offered to let them stay longer but Luffy claimed it would help him more to get back into his regular routine. Amidst no shortage of insults to Zoro's intelligence, Sanji did insist that Zoro continue escorting Luffy to and from school, home, and work every day. He claimed that even if Zoro was a Moss Monster, at least he could get help if something happened to Luffy. Not that it mattered to Zoro, he would have continued to do so anyway, especially with this new threat looming over Luffy's head.

Keeping Luffy's mind off Ace and out of trouble was Zoro's top priority now, meaning he had to keep Luffy occupied on his days off. They spent one afternoon after school playing catch at the park before heading back home. Zoro dazzled Luffy with his ability to catch the ball in his teeth and fling it back to him with a flick of his head. Sometimes it was better just to go home and watch some TV. It was on such escapades around town that Zoro met another friend of Luffy's.

The two of them were just turning onto Luffy's street when Zoro heard shouting and laughing up the street from them. He pricked his ears and gave Luffy a warning growl as he spotted a group ahead. There were about three skimpily clad girls with piercings and tattoos and two pumped-up guys in leather and shades. They were surrounding a lone boy about Luffy's age, with tight black curls, tanned skin and a long nose. He seemed to be trying to talk his way out of his situation, throwing his arms around in wide, exaggerated gestures and laughing at his own jokes. From the mocking giggles of the teens around him however, his chattering didn't seem to be helping much and he made nervous squawks every time one of them moved closer to him.

The group hadn't gotten physical with the boy yet and Luffy watched warily for only a second, seeming to be trying to assess the level of danger. Zoro cast him a nervous frown, Marco's warning to keep a low profile still fresh in his mind. Luffy didn't seem to care about keeping a low profile, however, and he started to move closer, his eyes narrowing dangerously. One of the girls suddenly leaned down and lifted a yelping puppy by the scruff of its neck off the ground where it must have been hiding between the boy's legs.

"Stop!" the long-nosed boy pleaded, grabbing for the puppy and suddenly fighting against a forest of arms. "Please, don't hurt him! Put Chopper down!"

Luffy acted in an instant and Zoro followed, not sure if it was to stop Luffy before he did anything stupid or to assist the strange boy.

"You Jerks!" Luffy shouted, grabbing the nearest teen by the shoulder and knocked him to the ground. The girl holding the puppy yelped in surprise and dropped it. The bullied boy instantly crouched and gathered the small brown pup in his arms, shielding it from the scuffle overhead as Luffy and Zoro scattered the gang.

"All right, all right, take it easy!" one guy said, throwing his hands up.

"We were just having a bit of fun with him, kid, no need to get all worked up," another girl snickered.

Luffy glowered at them. "Well I think it would be fun to punch those stupid grins of your faces, but I doubt you'd find that as amusing."

Zoro barked, baring his teeth to add some support to Luffy's words. He was relieved when the teens cast each other bemused glances, apparently not in for a full-on fight with the notoriously strong boy and his hellhound. They finally shook their heads and walked off, tossing half-hearted jibes to save face before disappearing around the street corner and leaving Luffy and Zoro with the bullied boy and his dog.

"Usopp?" Luffy asked, crouching down beside the curly-haired teen. The boy looked up and released a sigh of relief.

"Luffy! Boy am I glad it's you! I was just taking Chopper for a walk and those guys surrounded us. The girls were saying they wanted to take Chopper and make him into a purse or something."

He lifted his small puppy into a hug and rubbed his ears comfortingly allowing Zoro to get a better look at it. The pup was small, maybe fifteen pounds at most, and he couldn't have been more than six months old judging by his large paws and round head. He had a soft, warm, brown coat with black feet, small floppy ears, a stubby tail, and a nose so shiny and black it almost looked blue.

The pup's whimpers made the hair on Zoro's neck stand on end. He had never really liked conversing with other dogs. It had been quite unnerving to find that he could understand what they were saying in the days right after he first became a dog. The animals were not humans-turned-dog like he was and their ability to comprehend complex concepts was small compared to his own intelligence. Animal speech was far more basic without all the complementary words that make human speech so complex and it was surprisingly hard to listen to. Despite his wide frightened eyes and fluffed up fur however, the pup wasn't whimpering words of fear, rather he was swearing like a sailor in the boy's arms.

"Bastards! Bite them! Chase away, chase away! Scared, don't scare me!" the pup was practically trembling with a mixture of fear and fury.

"Look at what they've done to him," Usopp said, stroking his dog's head comfortingly until the pup's whimpers finally quieted.

"Is he okay?" Luffy asked, kneeling down beside Usopp. Usopp shrugged looking upset.

"I don't know, she grabbed him pretty hard, and when you scared them away she dropped him. Maybe he got hurt, but I think he's just scared. I was sure scared."

"Maybe Zoro can tell us!" Luffy wondered, grinning suddenly at his green-furred companion. Usopp only then seemed to realize Zoro was there and he fell back, still clutching his dog in his arms.

"What the-! That dog's HUGE! Where the heck did he come from?"

"This is Zoro and he's my friend. He's no ordinary dog either, he can understand people. I bet he could tell us what Chopper is saying." Luffy explained.

"Don't kid me, Luffy. Even I wouldn't tell a lie like that," Usopp scowled.

"No really, look." Luffy turned to Zoro who cast him a withered look. "Zoro, can you ask if Chopper's alright?"

Zoro sighed in resignation and nodded, causing Usopp's mouth to drop open. Zoro stepped forward and leaned towards the small puppy, making Chopper tremble slightly at his imposing size.

"Oi, you okay, Pup? Hurt?" Zoro grunted, trying to use the simplest language he could. Chopper squeaked, seeming to consider Zoro's words for a moment before replying.

"Not hurt. Chopper no chase away. Sad-mad Chopper," Chopper whimpered and hung his head in shame. Zoro sighed in understanding. The pup wasn't hurt apparently, but his pride as a dog was. It was natural for a dog to feel their duty was to protect their owners. Clearly Chopper wouldn't be able to do much of that due to his size but that didn't mean he didn't take that role seriously just the same.

Zoro turned to Luffy and nodded that Chopper was fine, thumping his tail and tilting his ears. They weren't the kind of gestures any normal person would be able to understand, but as usual Luffy got the message clearly and he smiled with relief.

"W-what's he saying?" Usopp asked hesitantly, casting Zoro a suspicious glare.

"He says Chopper's fine, he just feels bad for not being able to chase those guys away for you," Luffy translated, grinning broadly.

"Oh, Chopper!" Usopp leaned down and took the small pup in his arms. "It's okay, buddy, you'll get them good next time." Chopper sighed appreciatively and sunk into his person's hug, grateful for the comfort. Usopp looked up at Zoro and squinted curiously. "What kind of dog it that anyway? I've never heard of a dog that can understand people."

"Most people say he's part hellhound, part horse," Luffy replied with a smile, making Zoro snort dubiously. "Breed doesn't matter though. It's not like you know what kind of dog Chopper is either."

"Sure I do," Usopp laughed, holding his small brown puppy in the air. "He's obviously a dachshund mixed with a bit of raccoon dog and maybe a bit of reindeer."

Luffy laughed, "Well then I guess they're both monsters."

"I guess so."

The two boys laughed and gave their dogs proud grins. Chopper couldn't understand what they were saying, but their tones indicated they were happy with him and that was enough to make him yip gleefully and reach up to lick Usopp's face. Zoro just wagged his tail appreciatively. Only Luffy could make being a monster sound like a good thing and he would be a monster any time if it meant he could protect Luffy.

"Hey, where are you and Chopper off to next? Wan' a come hang out with Zoro and me at our apartment?" Luffy asked, interrupting Zoro's thoughts. Usopp shrugged.

"Sure, I guess. We were just heading home to watch some TV ourselves."

"Great! Come on then!" Luffy stood up before reaching down and helping Usopp to his feet. Chopper and Zoro took up their places at their respective persons' sides, listening in as Usopp and Luffy chatted.

"So, why's your dog green?" Usopp asked.

Luffy shrugged. "How should I know. It makes him look cool though, doesn't it?"

Usopp nodded. "I guess. I mean he seems friendly enough now but I certainly wouldn't want to get on his bad side. Not like Chopper," Usopp looked down at his tiny companion. "He tries, but he's not much use as a guard dog."

"That's why I called him Zoro," Luffy said, making Usopp glance up questioningly.

"What do you mean?"

Luffy's cheerful grin wavered for a moment and Zoro perked his ears curiously. "I named him after a guy who helped be a while back…"

Zoro paused, suddenly listening very closely to what Luffy was saying.

Usopp's face scrunched up in thought for a moment before his eyes went wide in alarm "Wait! You don't mean that guy that disappeared a few months ago! What was it they called him? Roronoa Zoro the Demon Hunter? Are you saying he actually helped you once?"

Luffy nodded, his voice growing quieter. "Yeah, he probably doesn't even remember it though, it wasn't a huge deal."

Usopp leaned closer, his own voice dropping seriously. "What happened?"

"It was about a year after Ace and I moved to this neighborhood. Ace had already started up his gang and they were getting a lot of hype in the streets after beating up some pretty tough gangs. I didn't tell Ace but there were some guys at school who kind of took it out on me. You remember that guy, Porchemy?"

"Yeah, I remember." Usopp shivered. "You were fighting off Porchemy and his punks left right and center. Kids were too scared to even hang out with you in case they got beat up too. I always wondered how you got those guys off your back so suddenly. Did you ask Zoro to take care of them or something?"

"Nope!" Luffy shook his head, watching the path ahead of him thoughtfully as he spoke. "I was dragged into an alley on my way home one day. I fought them off for a while but eventually they managed to pin me and started to pound me." Usopp and Zoro both gave Luffy matching grimaces of sympathy.

"So… w-what happen next?" Usopp asked, his quiet voice doing little to disguise how eager he was to hear the rest.

"Well…" Luffy cast Zoro a strange smile that made Zoro think of someone revisiting a fond memory. "Just as I was about to black out, I heard this voice that made everyone stop. And then, Zoro was there!"

Zoro frowned, Luffy's story suddenly coinciding with his own memories. He recalled how he had felt Luffy looked so familiar the first time he saw him all those months ago, now he knew why.

* * *

 _Zoro had been making his way towards his apartment after a long day of patrolling the city's alleyways. He'd had a few gangs to meet up with who promised a good fight. They were small timers and he had finished them off without much difficulty. Now he was ready for a long nap before he started his evening rounds._

 _As he approached a narrow street to his right, his keen sense of hearing picked up on the sounds of someone getting pounded. He wasn't one to butt into other people's fights. He couldn't care less if the gangs in these streets wanted to kill each other off, but he glanced into the dark alley as he passed out of curiosity anyway. In the shadows of the alley there was a group of five or six teens gathered against the wall. Egging them on with a chuckle of amusement was one particularly ugly looking young man he recognized as a small-time gang leader named Porchemy. The teens were taking turns punching and jeering at some unseen victim, with Porchemy laughing mercilessly as he watched._

 _Zoro frowned, he didn't approve of people ganging up on one person. He could handle himself alone against several attackers, but he was a rare exception. A real fight was between two people, fair and square. Whoever these guys were beating up didn't stand a chance against so many people._

 _"_ _Oi!" Zoro called out, his hand resting leisurely on the hilts of his three swords._

 _Porchemy and his gang halted and turned with sneers of indifference to face whatever suicidal punk thought they could interrupt them. At the sight of Zoro however, their sneers vanished and Porchemy's hand reached for the gun strapped to his belt._

 _"Back off, Demon Hunter," he growled, fingering the trigger warily. "This doesn't concern you."_

 _As Porchemy and his men stepped away from their victim, Zoro saw a pair of sandaled feet and snorted in disgust. "Gosh, Porchemy, I knew you and your fan girls here were weaklings but really, it took all of you to beat up one guy?"_

 _"Like I said…" Porchemy snarled, drawing the handgun at last and pointing it at Zoro. his finger quivering on the trigger. "Back off!"_

 _Zoro sneered, anticipating some real action at last. "On the other hand, it's gon'a take a lot more than you guys to handle me."_

 _"Shut the hell up!" Porchemy shouted and pulled the trigger. There were shrill yelps of surprise from Porchemy's gang as Zoro dashed down the length of the alley in a split second and swung Ichimonji up, slicing the gun out of Porchemy's hands and sending the huge thug reeling. Porchemy's lackeys lunged at Zoro with screams of fear and fury, but with practiced ease Zoro spun and sliced as he maneuvered between them. One by one the goons crashed to the alley floor with heavily bleeding wounds and gashes. Those who were still able stumbled to their feet and glanced back at Zoro with wide, fearful eyes._

 _"Anyone wan' a see what a real one-on-six fight looks like? Now that I've had a taste for blood I'm rearing to go!" Zoro teased, twirling his swords and grinning maliciously. The outclassed teens shook their heads and collected their comrades, stumbling stupidly out of the alley and leaving Zoro alone at last._

 _"Bunch of punks," Zoro spat, flicking the blood off his blade. As he sheathed his blades once more, he cast a careless glance over his shoulder to see the thugs' victim slumped against the wall and felt his heart drop in horror. He had expected some hapless lowlife who had bitten off more than he could chew, instead he saw a kid who looked like he was barely out of elementary school._

 _Cursing under his breath, Zoro knelt beside the boy and felt his neck for a pulse, relieved to find that it was still strong. The boy was badly beaten, his face a mass of dark purple bruises and shallow cuts. At Zoro's touch, the boy curled forward on himself with his arms clutching his middle, breathing in pained, shallow gasps. Zoro guessed that he likely had several broken ribs and possibly some internal organ damage._

 _Zoro released a shaky breath, suddenly feeling unsure of what to do. He wasn't above leaving someone beaten in an alley to deal with their own problems, but he'd never seen someone so young in such bad condition before. Figuring the least he could do for the kid was get some help, he pulled out his phone and dialed the emergency number to call for an ambulance._

 _Within minutes he had briefly explained the situation, and given the operators their location before hanging up. As he tucked his phone back into his pocket, he fully intended to get up and leave again. He had done all he could after all, it wasn't like the kid was his responsibility, but at least he knew he would get help now. He cast the boy a final glance and shook his head in disgust._

 _"Damn kid… what the hell did you do to piss off those losers so much?"_

 _To Zoro's horror, the boy suddenly groaned, his eyelids fluttering weakly. With a start Zoro leapt to his feet and took a step back, hoping he could get away before the kid spotted him. A pained whimper stopped him in his tracks._

 _"…at…"the boy croaked, barely audible._

 _Zoro turned to stare uncertainly at the boy's feeble attempts to rouse himself. "What?"_

 _"H-Hat…"_

 _"Hat?" Zoro looked around and spotted a straw hat lying across the alley from them. Hesitantly, he stepped back and picked it up before kneeling next to the kid once more. "This?" he asked. The kid stretched out his hands, searching blindly for the hat and Zoro placed it in his hands. "Here…"_

 _"…Thank you…"_

 _Zoro shook his head. "Don't mention it."_

 _The boy smiled weakly before he suddenly let out another pained gasp. He was attempting to lift his head, tears of pain and quite likely bewilderment streaming down his face as he finally managed to open his eyes._

 _"_ _O-Oi, don't move!" Zoro spluttered in concern, tentatively placing a hand on the least bruised part of the boy's shoulders. "Hang in there, okay, um…?"_

 _"Luffy…"_

 _"_ _Luffy. I'm Zoro. The paramedics are on their way, so just… stay here until they get here, okay?"_

 _Luffy stared up at him blearily and Zoro wasn't sure if he had understood him or not. "W… Where's Porchemy?" he asked with a weak cough, his eyes scanning the alley for his attackers. Despite his half-conscious state, Zoro detected the fear in the boy's eyes, as if he expected Porchemy and his gang to jump out of the shadows and attack him again. Zoro sighed. The poor kid was probably completely out of it, scared and confused. Zoro was no hero, but the thought of leaving a kid alone in such a vulnerable state didn't sit well in his stomach._

 _"_ _They're gone and they won't be back, don't worry." Zoro assured him gently, folding his legs beneath him to sit beside the injured kid._

 _A sigh of relief relaxed Luffy's shoulders and he closed his eyes. For a moment, Zoro thought he may have fallen unconscious again but they soon blinked open again and managed to scan Zoro's face curiously._

 _"You said you're Zoro… Demon Hunter Zoro?" Zoro was surprised by the lack of fear in his voice as he asked the question and he nodded carefully, uncertain how Luffy would react. Luffy's brow furrowed in confusion rather than fear at this. "Why do people call you that?" he asked, his voice growing stronger now._

 _Zoro sighed. "Because I beat people. I hate punks who think they're tough just because they're in such-and-such gang. A real fighter doesn't hide behind others thinking they can do whatever they want."_

 _Luffy smiled weakly. "So you're a good guy…"_

 _"Huh?"_

 _"You only beat up guys who do bad things…"_

 _Zoro considered this for a second. He had never thought about it that way before. Sure, he only fought people who ticked him off, most of whom deserved it for worse already. He had never consciously avoided hurting the innocent, though. It was a simple and naive way of seeing it, but Zoro was surprisingly touched that Luffy felt that way._

 _"_ _How old are you?" Zoro scoffed lightly under his breath, suspecting Luffy was still much too young to understand the reality of Zoro's actions._

 _Luffy chuckled, casting Zoro a knowing smile that seemed out of place amidst the bruises and scars "Fifteen…You?"_

 _"_ _Seventeen…"_

 _"…_ _haven't seen you at school."_

 _"_ _Dropped out, I've been on my own for two years. It's just me and my swords now." Zoro frowned curiously. Luffy was older than he had first thought, but still very young to be getting involved with gangsters like Porchemy. "What did you do to piss off someone like Porchemy?"_

 _Luffy huffed, "I could have beat them if they hadn't pinned me. They're just mad that my brother's gang beat them up last week."_

 _"You don't want to join your own brother's gang? It might give you a bit more protection from guys like Porchemy."_

 _"I guess. My brother's buddies are cool and all, but I don't like the idea of being in a gang, too annoying…"_

 _Zoro chuckled at that. "Yeah, you have no idea how many gangs around here have asked me to join them."_

 _"But you're too good for that," Luffy chuckled, a pained wheezing sound that made Zoro cringe._

 _"I just don't like being told what to do," Zoro admitted._

 _"That's good…" Luffy muttered, his voice growing quieter. His eyes fell on Zoro's swords and he frowned curiously._

 _"_ _Why do you have three swords?" he asked, making Zoro unconsciously reach for the hilts of his swords._

 _"_ _Because my swords would get jealous if I only used one at a time," he replied, smiling jokingly before adding with a hint of warning, "You got a problem with that?"_

 _"_ _No, I think it's cool." Luffy grinned toothily down at the three swords in wonder. "Everyone wants to use guns these days, I never see people using swords, and never three at once." Zoro snorted, nodding in silent agreement._

 _They were silent for several minutes after that. Zoro kept an eye on Luffy's features as the boy's eyelids fluttered drowsily and his breathing continued to rasp painfully in his chest. In the distance, Zoro could hear sirens approaching and knew the ambulance would arrive within minutes._

 _"_ _Luffy, the ambulance is almost here," Zoro said, hoping to offer Luffy some comfort amidst the pain. When Luffy didn't respond, Zoro's heart dropped once again in a panic. "Luffy!?" he called, reaching forward to press a finger to his neck again. He felt his shoulders relax in relief when he felt Luffy's heart still beating strong under his fingers. With a sigh, he lowered his hand. "You're going to be okay,"_ _Zoro assured him breathlessly._

 _After a moment's hesitation Zoro pulled himself into a crouch, preparing to leave. With Luffy unconscious and the ambulance almost there, there was no reason for him to stick around and get himself into unnecessary trouble. He had enough things to worry about without getting involved in attacks on random school kids in the streets._

 _He was alarmed to feel a trembling hand reach out and grasp onto his wrist as he got to his feet. He looked down and saw Luffy staring up at him through bleary eyes._

 _"_ _Will I… see you again?" Luffy asked, his voice barely above a whisper._

 _Zoro paused, it was unlikely they would ever meet again, but he couldn't bear to say 'no' either._

 _"Maybe…" he replied quietly, gently prying Luffy's hand free from his wrist. Luffy seemed to accept his answer and succumbed to his unconsciousness, his hand falling into his lap and his head drooping once more. Waiting for just one more moment to be sure he was still alright, Zoro finally hurried out of the alley just as the ambulance came into view down the street._

 _Zoro cast a wary glance over his shoulder but he didn't stop as the ambulance screeched to a stop outside the alley and the paramedics hurried to Luffy's aid._

 _Zoro never saw Luffy again, and to be honest he was fine with that, knowing that it meant Luffy hadn't been driven to the streets yet. He did keep an eye on Porchemy and his gang from then on, letting them know he wasn't going to tolerate any more attacks on school kids in his streets. In time though, he completely forgot about the boy he had inadvertently saved._

* * *

Zoro shook his head in a daze as Luffy finished his version of the story.

"Ace was there when I came to in the hospital but Zoro had left. I never did see him again."

"Well that's just rude! He should have at least made sure you were okay," Usopp sniffed, crossing his arms.

"It's fine." Luffy shrugged. "Even though I didn't tell anyone at school, Porchemy and his gang left me alone after that. I knew it was because of Zoro. I wanted to see him again so I could thank him properly, but everyone I asked said he was just a really bad guy and I should stay away from him. It made me mad to hear them say things like that about him, but I figure it must be the kind of reputation Zoro likes or he wouldn't fight so much, you know?"

"I guess…" Usopp muttered.

' _I used to be like that,_ ' Zoro thought to himself, his tail dragging dejectedly as he fell behind Luffy and the others slightly. He found himself agreeing with the people who had warned Luffy away from him. He did used to be a bad guy. It was pure chance that Zoro took pity on Luffy that day. In all honesty, if Luffy had been a rival capable of putting up a good fight, Zoro would have left him for dead without a second thought. Zoro realized that for the first time in his life, he regretted something. He regretted being so ruthless to all those people who were so much weaker than him.


	8. Chapter 8: The Truth

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for- well, not _that_ moment, but the other one. Prepare yourself for the Truth.

One piece isn't mine. Enjoy:)

* * *

Chapter 8: The Truth

By the time Luffy finished telling the story of his and Zoro's first meeting, they had finally arrived at their apartment building and Luffy let them all in. They spent the next few hours with Usopp and Chopper, just chatting and enjoying each other's company on Luffy's couch. Zoro tried to pay attention to what they were talking about. He learned that Usopp was a friend of Luffy's from school and that he lived alone with Chopper in a small flat in district twenty-three. He was mostly supported by a small sum of money his mother had left him when she died a few years before, but Usopp was finding it hard to scrape by on that alone now and was looking for some work to help with rent. Luffy suggested he apply as a waiter position at the restaurant. Sanji had been complaining about not having enough staff during the busy hours.

The conversation waned between topics, from the latest history assignment Miss Nico had given them, to a girl named Kaya who Luffy teasingly claimed Usopp liked. Zoro listened quietly, only half interested. He was still distracted by his thoughts regarding his past sins. It was good to hear that Luffy's life wasn't all school and work. He did have friends, and the thought was both comforting and strangely annoying. Zoro realized with an uncomfortable twist in his gut that he may possibly be slightly jealous. While Luffy clearly had other friends, Luffy himself was Zoro's one and only friend. What would Luffy think if he learned who Zoro really was? Would he accept him as he was, or would Zoro lose his only friend?

Adding on to the things he had to pay attention to, Zoro was spending the duration of their visit trying to avoid Chopper. The puppy had been wary of Zoro at first, seemingly intimidated by his size and indifferent attitude. Within minutes however Chopper was sniffing him all over, muttering shyly. Zoro had to skirt away to avoid the puppy's friendly greeting. He understood that sniffing each other's rears was how dogs politely introduced themselves. Zoro hadn't forgotten his human nature so much that he was going to let anyone sniff his rear, however, nor would he return the gesture. He didn't care how rude that made him. Chopper seemed disappointed but not dissuaded. He continued to pester Zoro, yipping and nudging him playfully.

"Friend? Play? Chopper be your friend, Chopper be friendly!" The pup spun and yipped gleefully, pouncing on Zoro and bowing in an invitation to join him. Zoro attempted to rid himself of the tiny pest in the kindest way he knew how. With a stern glare and a gentle swat, he batted the pup away.

"Go away!" he growled. Chopper looked hurt by his refusal and walked away, retreating to Usopp's lap for comfort. It didn't last long though, and within minutes the pup was pestering Zoro for attention once again. No matter how much Zoro growled or swatted the pup away, Chopper always returned. Eventually Zoro gave up and within moments he found himself lying on the couch between Luffy and Usopp with Chopper nestled in the crook of his hind legs sleeping soundly. He was forced to remain in that position for the remainder of their visit.

"I guess we'd better head home before it gets too dark outside," Usopp sighed after a couple hours had passed, stretching his arms leisurely across the back of the couch.

"Are you and Chopper going to be okay walking on your own? Maybe we should call a cab," Luffy wondered. Usopp let out a loud laugh, making Chopper jerk awake with a yip of alarm.

"Ha! Those gangsters wouldn't dare mess with Chopper and me! I'm the leader of my own gang of thirty thousand thugs, you know?"

Luffy's eyes went wide, and Zoro would have thought he believed him if it weren't for the grin of amusement on his face.

"If you say so," Luffy chuckled. "Give me a text when you get home then."

"Yup." Usopp nodded and gathered Chopper into his arms. "See you at school then."

"Yup!"

Chopper yipped farewell and Zoro dipped his head resignedly as the two left the apartment. He was about to lower his head to fall asleep again when he felt Luffy's arm snake around his neck and pull him close.

"It feels good to have friends," Luffy muttered, burrowing his face in Zoro's fur. Zoro grunted, letting his weight sag obligingly against Luffy. "And you're my best friend, Zoro."

Zoro's throat constricted uncomfortably, his mind returning to his earlier musings. Luffy was his best friend too, but Luffy didn't even know who he really was. How could he call himself Luffy's friend if he didn't even trust him enough to tell him that?

As the night wore on and Luffy finally went to bed, Zoro couldn't sleep and lay awake on the couch into the early morning hours. He remembered the tone of Luffy's voice as he had recounted the tale of their first meeting, so full of admiration and gratitude. As naive and innocent as Luffy seemed, Zoro knew by now that Luffy was fully aware of what went on in the streets. If he could consider Roronoa Zoro a good person despite knowing the kind of things he had done to people, then maybe it wasn't such a crazy idea to tell him the truth.

In a flashback that made the hairs on his spine stand on end, Zoro recalled the Kitsune's words the night he was turned into a dog. Becoming a dog had given Zoro a chance to start over fresh with people, to discover who he truly was and what he was meant to do with his life. He knew he hadn't done a very good job of it so far, but maybe now was the time to start, and to do that, he had to be Roronoa Zoro again.

Before he realized, Zoro had slipped off the couch and crept into Luffy's room where the teen was snoring contentedly under his huge pile of messy blankets. Zoro gave Luffy's head a gentle nudge with his wet nose and Luffy moaned sleepily before blinking his eyes open.

"Hmmnn… Zoro? What is it?" Luffy moaned, smiling drowsily.

"Come with me," Zoro said quietly, jerking his head towards the door. Luffy frowned in confusion but he seemed more curious than alarmed and he quickly disentangled himself from the covers and followed Zoro to the front door. Zoro stared at the door until Luffy realized what he wanted and quickly pulled on a sweater and some flip-flops before he opened the door. Zoro led the way out into the hall without waiting and Luffy followed wordlessly.

As they emerged into the early morning chill of the streets Luffy shuddered and rubbed his arms, but Zoro was already leading the way down the damp street and Luffy hurried to catch up. After a few blocks, they finally came to the edge of the neighborhood where some of the more rundown apartment buildings and shops were.

As his own apartment building came into view in the distance, Zoro looked up and spotted the windswept hill where his whole life had been changed so many months before. He had been emotionally numb up to this point, but now as his old home drew nearer, Zoro's heart began to flutter with apprehension. It was too late to turn back though, as Luffy and Zoro finally came to a stop in front of Zoro's building. Zoro jumped up, pushing roughly against the door and there was a grating click before the door swung open, making Luffy frown in surprise.

 _'_ _Cheap landlord still hasn't gotten that fixed, I see_ ,' Zoro thought, rolling his eyes as he led the way into the building. Finally, after two flights of stairs, Zoro and Luffy found themselves standing in front of Zoro's old apartment, not that Luffy knew it yet. Zoro realized that there was every chance the landlord had started renting the place out to someone else since he hadn't been there in months, but he couldn't smell any fresh new scents and there was a distinct draft coming from under the door. Unable to turn the handle himself, Zoro glanced up at Luffy who nodded in understanding and turned the knob. Surprisingly, the door swung open and Zoro led the way into his old home.

It appeared to have been gutted since he had last been there, with the windows covered in poorly sealed plastic and sheets draped over the counters. The fridge and stove were missing and Zoro's personal effects were gone. None of that mattered to Zoro though, as he led the way into the bedroom and immediately started for the corner of the room where the bed used to be and searched for the loose floorboard. Luffy stood in the doorway and watched silently as, after some cursing and splinters, Zoro finally managed to pry the boards free. Luffy stepped forward and watched as the dog reached into the hole in the floor and pulled out the long green case, grunting as he placed it carefully on the floor between them and looked up at Luffy.

"What is that, Zoro?" Luffy asked, staring at the box but not moving to open it.

"This is who I am," Zoro replied, nodding towards the box insistently. Luffy stared at him for a moment, his wary confusion slowly being replaced by curiosity. He finally nodded and with two loud clicks he opened the locks and lifted the lid, revealing the three gleaming swords in all their splendor.

"Why do you have three swords, Zoro?" Luffy asked. His voice lowered to a hollow note as he seemed to realize the words were familiar.

Zoro grunted and nudged his pale blade away from the other two before nudging it closer again. "Because my swords would get jealous if I only used one at a time," he explained, before grinning toothily and glancing up at Luffy with raised eyebrows. "You got a problem with that?"

It seemed to take a moment for Luffy to understand what Zoro was telling him as he stared at the swords, but when he did his eyes went wide and he slowly looked up at Zoro.

"Z-Zoro?... You're… R-Roronoa Zoro?... The Demon Hunter, Roronoa Zoro?!"

Zoro nodded, allowing Luffy to stare at him in disbelief. He wasn't surprised that Luffy had caught on so quickly. Anyone else wouldn't have even considered such a ludicrous possibility, but Luffy had a much more straightforward way of thinking. To him it was the only thing that made sense.

"H-how?!" Luffy gasped, his face finally splitting into the familiar grin of excitement. "You were human and now you're a dog, how can you change into a dog? Could you always do that?"

"Of course not, idiot," Zoro grumbled, rolling his eyes. "I was turned into a dog by a damn fox spirit."

Luffy frowned, not quite understanding, and once again Zoro realized he had forgotten Luffy couldn't speak dog. With a sigh he gestured for Luffy to take the case with his swords and led the way out of the room. Luffy obeyed with an excited grin and followed, leaving the apartment door open as they left.

Luffy was following excitedly now with a spring in his step as he trotted after Zoro out of the building and behind. Zoro could have walked the path with his eyes closed as he led Luffy around the building and across the street to the steep hillside path. He could already feel a familiar wind ruffling his fur as if it was greeting him after his long absence. After climbing for a few minutes up the path, Luffy was huffing slightly, likely just as much from excitement as from exertion. Again, Zoro hesitated before continuing. It was one thing for Luffy to know who he really was, it was another for him to know what he had done to get himself into his predicament in the first place. It wasn't until then that he remembered that the fox's shrine had disappeared the last time he had been here, there was no telling whether it had reappeared since then. He needn't have worried, however, as they finally came to the very top of the hill. The kitsune's shrine was exactly where it had always been, even the statue of the fox had been repaired and now sat atop the small archway like a sentry where it belonged, its stony eyes seeming to bore into Zoro with a poorly hidden glare of contempt.

Luffy still seemed unsure of what Zoro was showing him or why they had come to this place. With Zoro's sword box still clutched under one arm he took a moment to take in a few breaths and looked around, his eyes wide as he searched for something interesting.

"What are we up here for, Zoro? Weren't you going to show me how you became a dog?"

Zoro sighed resignedly at his cluelessness and stepped towards the shrine, flicking his ears towards the fox statue with a huff of irritation.

"That's what turned me into a dog," he grunted, jerking his head towards the shrine. Luffy wrinkled his nose in confusion.

"I don't get it," he admitted, scratching his head with his free hand. Zoro grumbled.

"I don't know how to explain it so you'll understand, Luffy. This fox spirit guy, Kyubi, or whatever his name is, got mad at me one day and turned me into a dog. Simple as that."

Luffy watched Zoro's face closely as he explained, his eyes wide and attentive. Zoro guessed he used Zoro's minute body language and expressive cues more than his actual vocalizations to understand him, but that didn't help his situation much.

"I still don't get it, but I get it," Luffy said at last, his face splitting into a grin.

"Really?" Zoro's ears twitched in surprise and he tilted his head questioningly. Luffy giggled.

"Yeah. I don't know how and I don't know why, but something about this shrine made you turn into a dog. I guess you can't turn back into a human until you do something really hard, right?" Zoro nodded, still in awe of how perceptive Luffy was. "Then I'll help you. Whatever it is you can count on me, Zoro!" Luffy held his arm up and flexed it confidently. "Together, we'll definitely get your old body back!"

Zoro couldn't help his tail thumping gratefully at the sentiment, but he couldn't tell Luffy that the conditions practically dictated that Zoro die for him to become a human again. If Luffy knew that, he may even send Zoro away to prevent it happening, it was part of the reason Zoro had left that one time after all. Zoro couldn't imagine leaving Luffy a second time, even if it would be safer for him. He didn't realize his thoughts had caused his ears to droop gloomily until Luffy interrupted his thoughts.

"Something wrong, Zoro?" Luffy asked. Zoro shook his head and cast him a reassuring flick of the ears.

"It feels good to have someone know the truth is all," Zoro sighed, not lying, even if it wasn't what he had been thinking. He had figured out by now that it was incredibly hard to lie as a dog, especially to Luffy. Luffy may not have understood his words but he could see the genuine relief and gratitude on Zoro's face.

"It'll be okay then." Luffy smiled, then his eyes crinkled with a gleeful sneer. "I can't wait to tell Usopp and Sanji."

"Oi! Who said you could tell them anything?" Zoro barked, pinning his ears. Luffy's smile faltered in genuine shock.

"What? But why not? They'd want to help too, I'm sure."

"Absolutely not! They wouldn't believe you anyway. It's stupid enough that they go along with the whole understanding human speech thing!"

Luffy huffed, his lips forming a disappointed pout, but Zoro wasn't budging on that point.

"Fine," Luffy sighed, relenting with a dejected slump. "It's your life, but I still say they'd want to help."

"Just keep it between us for now," Zoro pleaded, earning a nod of understanding from Luffy.

"Cross my heart and hope to die, I won't tell anyone," Luffy promised, crossing his heart with a finger.

Zoro grunted with approval. "Good. It's late and you have school tomorrow. Let's get back." Zoro nudged Luffy's elbow and lead the way back towards the path.

As they made their way back to Luffy's apartment in the cool early morning chill, Luffy walked with a far more energetic spring in his step than he had before. Zoro guessed it was due to his growing excitement about what he had just learned. He wondered if knowing Zoro was actually human would change the way Luffy treated him from now on. He glanced up at Luffy's gleeful and carefree expression and doubted it. Luffy wasn't the kind of person who treated people any differently based on their past. He had a way of reading people that rivaled Zoro's own animalistic instincts. To Luffy, a friend was a friend was a friend, and once he'd decided that, that was the way it would always be. It was a comforting thought for Zoro.

They had been walking in silence for only a block before Luffy's curiosity won out over discretion.

"So, why didn't you tell me who you were earlier?" Luffy asked suddenly, much too loudly for Zoro's liking in the vacant street. Zoro jumped in surprise before the question sank in and he felt his face grow hot in embarrassment. He didn't want to admit that he had forgotten about his and Luffy's first meeting.

"I guess I just didn't see a point until now," Zoro shrugged, but he couldn't hide his pinned ears.

Luffy rose a suspicious eyebrow and sneered. "You forgot we'd met before, didn't you?" Zoro's shoulder's sagged in annoyed admittance and Luffy chuckled. "That's okay, Zoro. It can't have been easy for you to tell me even after all this time we've been friends. I bet you're really happy to have your swords back though." Luffy giggled and held up Zoro's sword case. Zoro's tail wagged at that. It was a relief to have them back, even if he still couldn't use them. Luffy lifted the case and hugged it to his chest.

"I'll keep 'em safe for you until you get your human body back. Don't you worry, Zoro."

Zoro's tail only drooped slightly. ' _Won't do much good, if I'm dead,_ ' he though dismally.

* * *

A/N

Hey, so I decided to start adding some post-chapter notes at the end as well just to answer comments and give my opinion on things. Feel free to skim by if you find them boring.

Did anyone notice that my profile pic is of dog Zoro and Chopper. I spent a few hours on that with nothing but Paint and a drawing tablet, but I'm pretty proud of it :)


	9. Chapter 9: Sword care

Hi guys, thanks again for all the love. This is a short chapter unfortunately but I hope I make up for it in quality.

One piece isn't mine. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 9: Sword Care

The next morning, Luffy was expecting the usual sight of Zoro snoozing on the couch when he walked out of his room. Instead, he saw Zoro sitting in the middle of the living room with his sword box lying open on the floor in front of him. Zoro's ears were flat against his head as he stared glumly down at the three gleaming swords. It was an uncharacteristically forlorn expression for Zoro that made Luffy tilt his head quizzically.

Aside from allowing Luffy to briefly inspect them, Zoro had insisted on hiding them under the couch as soon as they got back to the apartment. They weren't exactly standard issue, and he had been well known for possessing three katana when he was a human. The last thing he needed was for someone to recognize them and start asking questions.

"Zoro?" Luffy asked, unusually quiet. Zoro glanced up at Luffy in reply, his expression still bland. "What are you doing with your swords?"

Zoro released a heavy sigh that only confused Luffy more. It occurred to Luffy that it had been nearly three months since Zoro had been able to use his swords (at least that's how long it had been since anyone had seen him in human form). Perhaps, Zoro simply missed using them.

"I bet you really miss holding your swords, don't you, Zoro?" Luffy came to sit next to the large dog and patted his back consolingly. To his surprise, Zoro shook his head.

While it was true that he missed using his swords, that wasn't what Zoro was so gloomy about. What upset him were the small flecks of dust and, to his utter horror, rust that had appeared in the minute crevasses of his blades. There had been no blood left on them, much to his relief, Zoro had always been a fastidious cleaner when it came to wiping the blood off his blades after a fight. Even though he had stored them in their velvet lined box however, without the deep clean they should have had before being stored long term the way they were, they had accumulated enough dust and moisture to start raising concerns.

Zoro desperately wanted to clean them. Even the smallest bit of dirt between the sections of the hilt and blade could seriously degrade the integrity of the swords. How could he, though? He had paws, not hands, and even if he did he didn't have his cleaning kit. He could communicate his problem to Luffy, but as much as he trusted his friend he doubted he could figure out the complexities of sword care on Zoro's limited communication abilities alone. It was a problem that had kept Zoro up half the night worrying when it had finally occurred to him.

Luffy was only growing more anxious as Zoro's silence continued, so Zoro quickly tried to explain. Nudging his white sword out of its hilt, he carefully motioned Luffy to look closer to which Luffy obliged curiously. To the untrained eye the swords may seem perfectly cared for, so Zoro was afraid Luffy wouldn't catch on at first. Luckily Luffy was observant enough to realize Zoro wasn't just asking him to look at the swords for show.

"You want me to look at them? Is something wrong with them?" Luffy muttered, hardly daring to touch the sacred blade as he lowered his eyes to stare carefully at the sharpened steel. Zoro nodded with a huff of displeasure at that fact.

"Hmm," Luffy scratched his chin thoughtfully, apparently not catching on just yet. "They look fine to me, but I don't know anything about swords. Are they broken?"

Zoro shook his head.

"Fakes?"

Zoro shook his head again with a roll of his eyes. Luffy eyes grew wide at his next guess.

"Are your swords cursed too!"

"You're an idiot," Zoro deadpanned, shaking his head with a grunt. He hated to have to resort to pantomime, he'd never been good at it and rarely needed it, but luckily there was a dish towel lying forgotten on the coffee table beside him. With another grunt of annoyance, Zoro grabbed the dish towel in his mouth and began wiping it showily over the swords, casting meaningful glances up at Luffy as he did so. Luffy watched with wide attentive eyes until it finally clicked.

"They're dirty!" he shouted, throwing his hands in the air triumphantly. His face fell back into a confused frown a moment later. "But they look so shiny, I don't see any dirt on them."

"Not to the untrained eye," Zoro huffed, growing more irritated. Luffy frowned in thought.

"Should I try to clean them for you?" he offered, sounding almost excited at the thought, but Zoro shook his head sternly. As much as he trusted Luffy to treat his swords with the utmost care, they were too valuable to let an amateur handle. Luffy sighed disappointedly but he didn't seem to have expected any different. His eyes brightened once again a moment later.

"Maybe I can take them to a shop! I'll go to the computer lab at school today and see if there's one nearby."

It wasn't ideal, Zoro knew for a fact that professional sword care wasn't easy to come by these days. It was the best Zoro could ask for in his current situation though, so he nodded that he approved and Luffy grinned. "Alright then! I'm gon'a get ready for school right away!"

* * *

Hours later, Zoro made his way towards the school after his morning shift. He had tried not to think about what Luffy would say when he told him of his findings, but his swords were just that important to him. When he spotted Luffy waiting for him on the school front steps however, he knew that the results of his search had been disappointing.

"Sorry, Zoro," Luffy sighed, trudging towards him with an apologetic frown. "There were places we could take your swords to get cleaned, but it's really expensive and I just don't think…"

"Don't worry about it," Zoro grunted, having expected the result. He would simply have to live with it for now. It wasn't like he would be using his swords again anyway, since he would either stay a dog forever or die turning back into a human anyway. He did wish Luffy didn't feel so disappointed, though. Zoro could tell that the teen had been eager to help him, knowing what Zoro's swords meant to him. Luffy seemed uncharacteristically depressed as they made their way to the Baratie for Luffy's shift, not even bothering to hide his bad mood from Zoro. It wasn't until they walked through the front doors of the Baratie and Luffy looked up that his mood seemed to switch suddenly.

"I've got it!" Luffy shouted, making all the heads in the restaurant turn to stare at him. "Brook!"

There was a squawk of confused surprise from across the restaurant and Brook, the tall musician with the afro, nearly tossed his violin bow across the room.

"L-Luffy! Can I help you with something?" Brook asked, growing visibly calmer as Luffy trotted towards him and Zoro followed behind at a more reserved pace.

"I have something SUPER important to ask you," Luffy started, his eyes sparkling.

"About what?"

"You used to use swords, didn't you?"

Brook smirked proudly. "You mean fencing? I was a member of the city fencing club for many years, yes. Why do you ask?"

"Would you know anything about cleaning swords, then?"

Zoro's eyes widened as he realized what Luffy was getting at and glanced up at the slender musician hopefully.

"But of course! Even if _some_ people don't consider fencing real swordplay, it's still essential for our swords to be properly maintained."

"Perfect!" Luffy clapped gleefully, dancing from foot to foot. "You see, I'm holding some swords for a friend of mine and they're a bit dirty. I don't know anything about cleaning swords and getting a professional to do it is really expensive. If you could at least show me the proper way it's done, it would be the most awesome thing ever!"

"Well, if you need someone to clean your swords, I suppose I could lend a hand. Why don't you bring them to work and I'll take them home with me?" Brook suggested.

Zoro released a low grunt of displeasure at this suggestion. It wasn't that he didn't trust Brook to bring them back, or even do a good job cleaning them, but the idea of handing off his prized possessions to someone he barely knew made him deeply uncomfortable. Luffy noticed Zoro's tone and bit his lip uncertainly.

"Um, I'd actually really like to watch, see how it's done. Maybe you could come over to my place to do it."

"Well, I would need my cleaning kit," Brook hummed thoughtfully, tapping his chin with his violin bow before his eyes lit up with an idea. "Tell you what, tomorrow I don't work until five, and I believe you have the day off. Why don't I drop by sometime in the morning and we can work on your friends' swords then?"

Luffy eyes lit up even brighter than Brook's had and he grinned infectiously. "That's perfect! I can't wait, I love having friends over!"

Brook looked startled by Luffy's words. "You… consider me a friend, Luffy?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I? You're funny, and nice, and you play the best music, AND you can use swords, just like Zoro!" Luffy giggled, clapping Brook on the back jovially. Brook cast Luffy a bashful smile a this and his cheeks flushed self-consciously.

"Yohohoho! Very well then, I shall see you tomorrow morning!" he chuckled, nodding affirmingly.

* * *

The next morning, the buzzer sounded at nine o'clock prompt and Luffy pressed the button to let Brook into the building. Soon after, Brook arrived at the door grinning proudly. He sported a professional looking case in his left hand that Zoro presumed was his cleaning kit, and a glossy purple cane hooked over his right elbow.

"Yohohoho! Good morning, Luffy, Zoro! Are we ready?" Brook sang, grinning gleefully and tipping his hat in greeting.

"Good morning, Brook! We're ready!" Luffy cheered, bounding towards Zoro's sword case lying open on the table. Brook followed leisurely, placing his cleaning kit gently on the table next to Zoro's swords and opening it with a flick of his thumb. Zoro watched with narrowed eyes, carefully observing the musician's every move for any mistakes. Luffy seemed more interested in Brook's cane, however.

"Why do you have a cane, Brook?" Luffy asked, causing Brook to pause in his preparations.

"Yohohoho! This, Luffy, is actually my fencing sword. In the old days, people used to hide them inside their canes as a disguise. I inherited this one from my great grandfather." As he spoke, Brook twirled the cane around his wrist letting the sheath swing up to rest in his left hand. With a gentle hiss, the sheath of the cane slid back to reveal a glossy, double edged blade, protruding just out of the curve of the cane handle. Both Zoro and Luffy leaned closer to look at the impressive sword, admiring the lacquered purple sheath and glossy blade. Zoro was impressed. If the sword was as old as Brook said, he must be exceptionally good at maintaining it.

"Is this testament enough to my sword care capabilities, Luffy?" Brook chuckled, grinning at Luffy's awed expression. Luffy looked as if he was about to answer with a definite yes, but quickly stopped himself and glanced at Zoro for confirmation first. Zoro gave him an approving nod.

"Let's get started!" Luffy grinned, throwing his arms up excitedly. With a chuckle, Brook complied, finally reaching into Zoro's sword case for the first blade, Shuusui. Brook's eyes grew wide in amazement as he lifted the sword to his face for closer inspection, touching the leather wrapped sheath with a look of awe.

"Luffy… these swords… they're amazing!" Brook gasped, finally removing the sheath to inspect the blade.

"Aren't they?" Luffy laughed, slipping into one of the chairs to watch Brook's face from a more comfortable position.

"Indeed! Why, this sword alone, must be over six hundred years old judging by the craftsmanship, possibly older. The detailing is extraordinary. Someone has painstakingly maintained these swords, and they're certainly just as deadly as the day they were made."

After inspecting Shuusui, Brook carefully replaced it into its sheath and reached for a second sword, this time drawing out Ichimonji.

"And this one! I'm no expert when it comes to katanas, but I actually recognize this one from a book I read. It can't be anything but the famed Wado Ichimonji. I didn't even know it still existed. Unless it's a copy, in which case the resemblance is uncanny!"

"That's no copy," Zoro snickered, grinning toothily at Brook's growing wonderment. Ichimonji had been the pride of his master's household for hundreds of years, painstakingly maintained and deadly efficient. Zoro had been honored beyond words when he had been permitted to inherit it.

Brook finally reached for the third sword, and Zoro shifted uncomfortably as the musician's fingers curled around the hilt. Brook's expression darkened for the briefest second before he brought it closer to his face to inspect it.

"This sword," he breathed, reverently resting the sheath on his open palms as if it was a unpredictable creature to be handle delicately, "it's quality is equally as impressive as the other two, but I get the strangest feeling it should be handled with great care."

"Why's that?" Luffy asked, his tone unconcerned but curious.

Brook shook his head uncertainly, "I don't know, it just feels… temperamental."

"I'll say," Zoro grunted, frowning warningly up at the blade, Sandai Kitetsu. "That sword is cursed. Took me forever to tame it."

Brook gave Kitetsu a cursory sweep with his eyes, observing it's every detail with admiration before finally returning it to the box next to the other two. "I think I shall start with one of the friendlier two," he decided, reaching for Ichimonji again. "I'd rather not lose a finger until the other two are clean at least." He and Luffy shared an amused chuckle as Brook unsheathed Ichimonji once more and reached for his cleaning kit.

* * *

It took several hours of meticulous work for poor Brook, with Zoro carefully observing his every move. Brook had to start by carefully disassembling all the swords' components before cleaning each piece. Zoro had to admire his skill and precision. It wasn't just any swordsman who took the time to train themselves in such thorough sword care. When he was finished with each sword, Brook even took the time to unwrap their sheaths to make sure there was no dirt, dust or, God forbid, blood, left inside that could transfer to the blades.

After finally replacing Kitetsu in the velvet lined box next to Shuusui and Ichimonji, Brook drew his arm across his forehead to wipe the sweat off his brow, releasing a breath of relief.

"Well, that was quite an experience!" Brook laughed, still looking flustered.

"You were amazing, Brook!" Luffy grinned admirably. "I'm glad I thought to ask you, I'm sure Zoro appreciates it too." Zoro nodded in agreement, truly meaning it.

"Yohohoho! I certainly hope so, I wouldn't want to get on such a dangerous man's bad side," Brook chuckled nervously. "You can tell him it was an honor to handle such magnificent Katanas."

Luffy giggled, looking down at Zoro with a knowing sneer. Zoro couldn't help but wag his tail appreciatively, all feelings of concern for his swords' welfare forgotten. He decided right then and there, if he could ever wield his swords again, he'd love to challenge Brook to a duel. For the first time, just for the joy of friendly competition, not to dominate. It was a liberating and yet saddening thought. After all, what was the likelihood that he would ever wield his swords again.

* * *

A/N

Sorry everyone, I know this is a short chapter, but I didn't want to be adding pointless fluff in either so I hope you enjoyed it anyway. This is a chapter I hadn't originally planned for but decided to add as a way for Zoro to get to know Brook. Since Zoro loves his swords so much and Brook is also a swordsman in the anime/manga I thought that would be the best thing to base their relationship on. I also didn't want anyone to be wondering whatever happened to Zoro's swords after they found them either. I tend to forget about small details like that in the planning stages.

Thanks again for the reviews, favs, and follows.


	10. Chapter 10: Miss Nico and Mr Franky

Sorry for the long wait, guys. I like to have at least two chapters done before I post one so that there's a bit of a buffer and I had to write the next one from scratch. As I warned at the beginning, updates might take a bit longer from now on because I've started to revamp the rest of the story. It's taking a bit of a different turn as new details are revealing plot holes I have to fix. Anyway, don't worry, I will keep updating.

And now, for the much awaited final members of the Straw Hat crew to make their appearance, as well as some other, equally anticipated characters I'm sure.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 10: Miss Nico and Mr. Franky

The days were getting shorter with Autumn on its way so it was getting darker every night as Luffy and Zoro made their way home after their evening shifts. Luffy didn't seem to mind, even though the street lights did little to light their path and every alleyway they passed seemed to be crawling with street urchins. Zoro found himself growing more and more uncomfortable as the nights grew darker. On his own, this had been his prime time to go out and search for worthy opponents. That had only been because it was when the strongest and most dangerous thugs came out. With Luffy's safety on his mind now that he knew someone was after the boy's life, Zoro made sure to keep his keen eyes, ears, and nose on full alert.

It was one particularly drizzly evening as Luffy bid his farewells to his colleagues and collected Zoro from his booth that Zoro felt like something was wrong. He had been having a feeling of dread all day, as if there was some ill will looming over him. His senses were more muddled than usual as well. The steady hiss of the rain and the musty damp smell of the scummy streets were overwhelming, making him nervous.

Luffy didn't seem to notice Zoro's misgivings, choosing to dance in circles as he walked and leaping into puddles to further soak his furry companion with waves of water. He kept his hand firmly planted on his head holding his ever-present straw hat in place. It wasn't providing him much protection from the rain, especially with all his moving, but at least it wouldn't blow off in the wind.

With neither of them fully aware of their surroundings, it was easy for the pair of strong arms to snake out from an alleyway and snag Luffy around the throat from behind. Luffy squawked in alarm, throwing his hands up to grab at the arms around his throat out of reflex. The hands only gripped him harder, already starting to drag him deeper into the alley and out of the light. Zoro immediately released a thundering bark and leapt at the assailant, aiming to knock him away before he had a chance to do any damage. He was knocked aside by a hefty blow to the ribs however, sending Zoro reeling onto the sidewalk. His chest heaving from the wind getting knocked out of him, Zoro looked up dazedly to see a second man wielding a huge club standing beside the first man.

"Zoro!" Luffy yelped, whether out of concern or fear was unclear, before ramming his elbow into his captor's stomach. "Let me go, you bastard!"

Luffy twisted, his narrow shoulders sliding easily around despite the man's grip so that he was facing his captor. With a shout of fury, Luffy slammed his fists into his captor's stomach. Not expecting the blows, the man gasped and was thrown back, slamming into the wall of the alley behind him.

Luffy had already wound up to deliver another punch, when another pair of arms wrapped around his arms from behind, holding him back.

Zoro felt the hair on his spine prickle fearfully. More people had suddenly appeared out of the shadows. There were three men in total, all dressed in black suits and one woman wearing a short-skirted black dress. The man who had hit Zoro with the club was large with thick shoulders and black hair that looked like bull horns. The man who had been holding Luffy first was slim but muscular, with curly black hair pulled back in a ponytail and an oddly curled goatee. The one currently restraining Luffy was the third man, also slim yet muscular with blond hair and a long, strangely squared nose. The woman was slender and curvy, with straight blond hair down her back and half-rimmed glasses that she kept propping up with her hand.

While it was clear that they were outnumbered and their assailants were strong, neither Luffy, nor Zoro were ready to go down without a fight. Luffy snapped his head back, headbutting the blond man in the face and sending his straw hat fluttering to the damp alley floor. Zoro dodged another attack from the clubbed man and snapped at his arm as it passed, clamping his strong jaws into the man's flesh.

Though he had released a shout of surprise and pain, the blond man didn't relinquish his hold on Luffy. Instead, he rammed his knees into the back of Luffy's legs, causing the boy to crumple. Luffy tried to twist around again, snarling as he heaved his arms against the blond's grasp. The blond grunted, startled by the boy's strength but barely managed to keep his hold, lowering a knee to press it against Luffy's lower back and pushing Luffy to the ground.

With the club man's arm in his teeth, Zoro flexed his neck muscles and shook, aiming to whip the man's arm and knock him off balance. To his surprise, the man didn't budge, instead he flexed and swung Zoro off his feet, sending the dog slamming into the alley wall. Zoro recovered in an instant and lunged again, this time feigning another attack to the man's club and dodging under his legs instead to go after Luffy's captor.

He didn't get far before the curly-haired man reached out and snagged Zoro by his bandana, twisting his hand as he did so and instantly trapping Zoro in a choke hold. Zoro tried to contain his choked yelp of alarm as the bandana constricted around his throat, but he managed to twist around, lashing out at the man's face with his claws and snapping at his arms with his teeth. The man was surprisingly nimble though, and he easily evaded Zoro's attacks, wrapping his arm around Zoro's throat for added support. Zoro was shocked at his strength. Normally he could easily flip a man three times his size with his mouth grip alone, but with the man's vice-like hold and his own awkward position he was virtually defenseless.

Even then, with them both pinned and immobilized, Zoro and Luffy refused to stop struggling until Zoro felt the bite of a small blade press against his throat. Recognizing the sensation, Zoro froze instinctively. Luffy didn't seem to notice the danger Zoro was in for several seconds, until Curly-haired man called for his attention.

"I recommend you stop struggling, boy, or I'll have to kill your dog." His tone was alarmingly calm and deadly as he pressed the knife deeper into Zoro's throat. A dull sting and a warm wetness seeping into his fur told Zoro that the knife had broken skin, but not deeply. However, if he so much as twitched the knife could easily slip and Zoro would die. Zoro refused to allow even a hint of fear to show on his face, but Luffy's eyes grew wide in horror when he finally spotted the knife.

"N-no! Don't, I'll stop fighting!" Luffy relaxed his shoulders instantly, melting into the wet pavement and allowing the blond man to readjust his grip. Zoro snarled disapprovingly, his chest constricting with self-loathing for his own uselessness.

"Don't you dare, Luffy!" he rasped, his head already pounding as he struggled for breath. "Fight them off… and run… go find help!"

Luffy's jaw had already set into a grim frown though, and Zoro knew there was no way the stubborn kid would abandon him, even if it was the logical thing to do. With a grunt of annoyance, the blond man lifted his leg off Luffy and heaved him to his feet without resistance.

"The kid's strong," the blond man chuckled breathlessly, smiling over at his horn-haired companion.

"Silence," the man holding Zoro ordered, finally lowering Zoro so that the dog could rest all four paws on the ground, but keeping the knife pressed firmly to his throat.

The four of them stared down at Luffy and Zoro with distain. Zoro wished they would just get on with it and tell them what they wanted.

"Are you sure he's the right one, Lucci?" the woman spoke for the first time, stepping towards Luffy and leaning forward to stare at his face, sounding bored. Her tone infuriated Zoro, as if Luffy was nothing to be concerned about even thought they were the ones attacking him. "He seems kind of small and pointless to me."

"What he looks like is irrelevant," the man holding Zoro, apparently named Lucci, sighed, sounding exasperated with his colleagues. "Our orders were to eliminate the boy with the straw hat. Who he is and why he is dangerous is not our concern."

"He's just a kid though," the blond man snorted, sounding doubtful. "I was expecting someone a bit older and… bigger."

"Shut up, Kaku," Lucci snapped quietly. He turned to the horn-haired man and pulled Zoro to the side. "Blueno, take the dog. It will be our insurance that the boy behaves himself from now on."

The horn-haired man, Blueno, complied wordlessly and roughly took Zoro's bandana from Lucci's hand, the knife pressing dangerously close to Zoro's jugular during the transfer. With his hands finally free, Lucci stepped towards Luffy and cast him an appraising eye, ignoring the death glare on Luffy's face as he drew nearer.

"Just to be sure, what is your name, boy?" he demanded, his voice still quiet despite the dangerous tone. Luffy pressed his lips together stubbornly, refusing to speak. Zoro guessed he had figured out as much as he had. The chances of such a deliberate attack on Luffy specifically could only be related to Ace's arrest and this Blackbeard character wanting Luffy dead. Telling his attackers he was their target would be as good as signing his own death warrant.

Displeased with Luffy's silence, Lucci cast Blueno a significant glance and Zoro felt the bandana constrict around his throat, nearly cutting off his air supply completely. Despite his efforts, Zoro couldn't help the strangled grunt of discomfort and Luffy's eyes widened in alarm. Zoro could see the internal struggle written plainly on his face and prayed he would keep his mouth shut. If one of them was to die, it absolutely couldn't be Luffy. To his horror, Luffy lowered his eyes and released a resigned sigh.

Just as Luffy was opening his mouth to seal his fate, however, everyone jumped in surprise as a booming voice echoed down the alley.

"Freddy! Looks like you got yourself into a SUPER big mess, Bro!"

All eyes turned to see two figures blocking the light from the flickering street lamp in the mouth of the alley. With the light behind them, Zoro couldn't see much of their faces, but one was a large, male shape, with massive shoulders, a high hair-do, and beefy arms. The second appeared to be a tall woman, her slender frame dressed in a long skirt and dark hair falling in slight waves past her shoulders. Neither Zoro nor the kidnappers had time to inquire as to who the two people were before the woman spoke, her voice smooth and dangerously calm for such a dire situation.

"Oh my, now what could such well-dressed people want with dear Freddy here?" Zoro could practically hear the fury dripping from her tone.

"Who are you?" Lucci demanded, sighing in annoyance as he turned to face the strangers. Zoro saw Luffy's eyes light up in recognition, a flicker of hope making his mouth twitch with a hint of a smile.

"Just a couple of teachers," the male stranger stated, crossing his arms. "We were walking by when we saw you with our student here, Freddy."

The four kidnappers cast confused glances at each other, obviously doubting the huge man's explanation, but they weren't willing to risk any uncertainty.

"What did you call him?" Kaku asked, his tone casual.

"Freddy. Little Freddy Williams, who did you think he was? Or are you just picking off random kids from the streets now?" The man snorted in disgust, cracking his knuckled angrily.

"We'd really prefer you not kidnap him," the woman added, her tone still calm. "He has a history paper due tomorrow."

"You might like to know that I've already called the police and they're on their way. I wouldn't stick around thinking about for too long if I were you," the man warned.

Lucci grunted doubtfully and cast Luffy another warning glare. "What's your name, boy?" he demanded again, his tone deadly. Luffy glared back at him defiantly. Zoro waited with baited breath, having realized what the two strangers were trying to do. He hoped that Luffy was intuitive enough to play along with their plan.

"…Freddy Williams… They're my teachers, honest… I don't know what you guys want with me."

"I told you he didn't fit the description," the woman kidnapper sighed, propping her glasses higher onto her face with a delicate hand. "You should have let me gather more info on our target before you went and grabbed the first kid you saw with a straw hat. So unprofessional."

Lucci scoffed, clearly not impressed with his colleague's insolent attitude. Whether this boy was Luffy or not, it was clear that the two teachers would not be leaving, and with the police on the way, picking a fight with two more people would only gain them more unwanted attention. Forced to pick their battles, Lucci reluctantly waved his hand for Kaku to release his hold on Luffy, allowing the boy to stumble forward and fall onto his knees. Almost as soon as he hit the pavement Luffy looked up and glared at Blueno, still pressing the knife to Zoro's neck.

"Let go of Zoro!" Luffy demanded, his tone surprisingly venomous despite his panted breaths. Blueno complied only because Lucci had flicked his head, indicating for him to obey. As soon as the knife was removed and his bandana released, Zoro felt his lungs fill with the desperately needed air and gasped, panting as his head began to spin and his vision blurred.

"It seems we were mistaken," Lucci drawled, sounding extremely reluctant to say so.

"Yeah, well I can tell you it's be a SUPER big mistake to try going after our students again!" the big man laughed. Without another word, the four people clad in black turned and retreated down the alley, disappearing into the dark and rain. Luffy stumbled to his feet and hurried to kneel at Zoro's side. He gently threw his arms around the dog's neck in a relived hug before rubbing his hands up and down Zoro's throat where the knife had been pressed to check for any damage. There was a thin red slit across Zoro's throat, but luckily his fur was thick enough that it protected him from any worse damage.

After struggling for enough air for so long Zoro's head was still pounding, it didn't take long for his panting to slow and his vision to stabilize. He cast Luffy a reassuring smile before he noticed the two strangers approaching from the mouth of the alley. He immediately tensed, releasing a low warning growl deep in his chest before Luffy interrupted him with a grateful shout.  
"Miss Nico! Mr. Franky!" Leaping from his kneeling position, Luffy launched himself at the two strangers, taking them both around the neck in his long, gangly arms. Now that they were closer, Zoro could see their faces clearer and he relaxed slightly. He recognized Mr. Franky now, having seen him the first day he dropped Luffy off at school. He was the one Luffy had claimed didn't like to wear pants in class, but that didn't make it any less strange that he appeared to be wearing nothing but a Hawaiian shirt and a speedo in such cold weather.

Zoro had heard about the woman, Miss Nico, from Luffy and Usopp in their conversations about school. From what he could remember, she was a history teacher, and she was one of Luffy's favorites based on his fond grin every time he talked about her.

"You okay, Freddy?" Mr. Franky asked, patting Luffy on the back with one of his huge hands. Luffy nodded, still grinning. Zoro guessed they were keeping up the fake name for now in case the kidnappers were sticking around. Miss Nico's calm expression gave way to a concerned frown for the first time and she cast a suspicious eye over Luffy for and signs of injury.  
"I think it would be wise for us to find somewhere safe to talk," she suggested, glancing warily up and down the alley. Luffy nodded gratefully, placing a hand on Zoro's head and gently gripping his fur in his fingers. Zoro could feel Luffy's hand shaking against his neck and allowed the touch. They paused to allow Luffy to grab his hat before following the two teachers into the rainy street.

"We'll go to my house." Miss Nico slowed so that she could walk next to Luffy, casting him a gentle smile. She looked up at Mr. Franky and he nodded as they seemed to share some unspoken conversation. Luffy continued to stare at the ground, not bothering to respond. Zoro supposed the shock of what had happened and the relief of being rescued were starting to wear off, allowing him to fully comprehend the reality of what had almost happened to him.

Within a couple minutes, the four of them arrived at a small flat only a couple of blocks from Luffy and Zoro's apartment. Miss Nico cast a cursory glance up and down the street before pulling out her keys and admitting the group into her home. Luffy allowed himself to be steered into the living room and Miss Nico lowered him onto the couch without a word.

"Would you like some tea?" she asked. Luffy nodded eagerly and pulled his knees up to his chest. She nodded and left the room, disappearing into what must have been the kitchen. Zoro padded up to sit on the floor next to Luffy and Luffy wrapped his arm around the dog's neck again. Mr. Franky stepped in a moment later, crossing his arms and frowning down at Luffy. His expression softened to a much gentler frown and he leaned towards Luffy slightly. "You sure you're okay, kid? You look a bit pale."

"Y-yeah… I'm fine," Luffy replied quietly, his voice quivering slightly. Mr. Franky didn't look convinced and opened his mouth to say something, but a moment later Miss Nico returned with a tray of steaming mugs, distracting him. She placed the tray on the coffee table in front of Luffy and handed him one of the mugs wordlessly before handing another to Mr. Franky.

There was a moment of tense silence as Luffy clutched the mug to his chest, his eyes staring blankly up at his two teachers as if expecting them to start shouting at him any second. Miss Nico sighed and cast her colleague an exasperated glance before staking a seat in an easy chair near the couch where Luffy was sitting.

"Luffy, would you care to tell us why those people were after you?" she asked gently, sounding almost casual. Luffy's eyes fell onto the floor and he refused to meet her gaze.

"I… I can't tell you," he admitted after a moment, his voice still shaking slightly.

"That's fine," Miss Nico consented, looking disappointed but nodding her head obligingly. "But I can't allow you to go home unless I can be sure you're going to be safe on your own. If there are people after you, you need to tell the authorities so they can deal with these people."

"I can't…" Luffy shook his head, still staring at the floor. "They'll hurt… someone, if I go to the police."

"Who, Luffy Bro?" Mr. Franky asked, tilting his head curiously.

Luffy's eyes had become red with the threat of tears and he finally looked up, his expression desperate. "Please, just let it go," he begged. "I'll be more careful from now on. I'll take a different rout home from work. I'll make sure I don't go anywhere alone. Just don't go to the police, don't go looking for those guys. You'll only make things worse."

Mr. Franky sighed, lifting a hand to rub his temples as if he had a head ache. "I guess there's no arguing with you, is there?"

"Alright, Luffy," Miss Nico conceded. "We'll let it drop."

Zoro was impressed. He had expected the two teachers to put Luffy under a lot more pressure than they had been. They were clearly very used to these sorts of situations. Despite what the authorities said, the police in this city were often just as corrupt as the thugs they claimed to protect the streets from. If Luffy said that telling the authorities about the attack was more dangerous, it was highly possible that he was telling the truth.

Luffy breathed a sigh of relief and his body visibly relaxed. Miss Nico smiled at him gently, before her eyes fell on Zoro.

"That's the dog who's been bringing you to and from school, isn't he?" She smiled pleasantly at Zoro, making Zoro squirm uncomfortably as his face grew hot.

"You're lucky to have such a super dog. If we hadn't heard him barking, we wouldn't have known to come help," Mr. Franky admitted.

Luffy grinned despite himself, tugging Zoro closer with the arm wrapped around his neck. Zoro felt some of the guilt that had been weighing on his heart recede slightly. At least he hadn't been completely useless.

"What were you two doing there anyway?" Luffy asked, glancing between them curiously.

"We had a late staff meeting," Miss Nico explained simply, waving her hand at her colleague. "Mr. Franky offered to walk me home when it got dark. We had some papers to grade anyway."

"I got'a say, it's a good thing we did," Mr. Franky whistled, smiling.

"If you're feeling better, Luffy, you can stay here until you finish your tea. I do want you to let Mr. Franky escort you home, however," Miss Nico insisted. Her voice took on that same dark tone from before and Luffy nodded quickly. Zoro got the feeling she was only able to use such a gentle voice most of the time because everyone was too afraid of her to ever argue.

"Hey, can I get an extension on that paper that's due tomorrow?" Luffy asked, grinning hopefully. Miss Nico smiled pleasantly.

"No, you may not," she stated, giggling slightly at Luffy immediate pout. Mr. Franky laughed heartily and patted Luffy on the back.

"And don't forget you've got'a have that table project of yours finished by Friday," he chuckled.

"I finished that already!" Luffy exclaimed indignantly.

Mr. Franky snorted. "Hammering four sticks to a board is not a table, Luffy. You've got'a put some super effort into it."

Luffy crossed his arms and started to make another retort, insisting that he had already tested his table and it worked fine, to which Mr. Franky argued that placing it on his lap didn't count. Zoro listened with a relived sigh, greatly appreciating the effort that the two teachers were putting into distracting Luffy from his frightening experience. Luffy was already regaining their cheery glow as the ensuing argument with his teacher lit the spark of defiance in his eyes.

* * *

It was getting late when Miss Nico decided that it would be best for Luffy to go home. Mr. Franky assured Luffy that he wouldn't be letting the boy out of his sight until he was safe in his building. He also insisted that Luffy text him the all clear when he got into his apartment. Some would call it an inappropriate request, but considering it wasn't uncommon for assailants to lie in wait in people's homes, Mr. Franky's caution could be excused. Luffy thanked him with a grateful hug, once again reminding Zoro how young the teen was, before they finally made their way up the stairs to Luffy's apartment.

As they stepped into the empty apartment, Luffy took a moment to stand in the doorway and stare into the darkened rooms, his expression unreadable. Zoro was already listening for any sounds of intrusion before they proceeded any further, but he was startled by a heavy breath from Luffy that sounded almost like a sob.

"Z-Zoro…" Luffy whispered, his voice hoarse and choked in the silence of the empty rooms. "It's true… Isn't it? Whoever this Blackbeard guys is… he really wants to kill me, doesn't he?"

Zoro's ears flattened unhappily, having expected Luffy to breakdown eventually. To be honest, he was having difficulty keeping in his own distress. Luffy released another half sob, but he was managing to keep the tears back. Dropping to the floor next to the dog, Luffy threw his arms around Zoro's neck once again, pressing his face into Zoro's fur.

"Th-They were going to kill you too, Zoro," Luffy whimpered, his voice muffled by Zoro's fur. "I can't let them do that, I can't let them hurt you again."

Zoro felt his throat constrict. "Oi," he grunted, nudging Luffy's shoulder with his nose. "I'm the one who should be saying that, not you. I shouldn't have let them get the jump on us like that."

"Shut up," Luffy's words were stern, but lacked any bite, still muffled in Zoro's neck. "I don't want you to die, do you understand me, Zoro? I don't want anyone to have to leave me so that I can be safe. Promise me, Zoro. Promise me you'll never leave me."

"I…I can't," Zoro wanted to say, a low whine escaping his mouth, but another sob from Luffy made him bite his tongue.

"Promise me, Zoro!" Luffy ordered again, this time finally lifting his head to stare right into Zoro's eyes as he did so. Zoro's heart was pounding in his chest, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't bring himself to refuse Luffy request.

"I won't… I promise," Zoro huffed, turning his gaze away from Luffy's. He felt Luffy staring at him for several seconds, the traumatized teen's breathing still heavy with repressed tears. He seemed to believe Zoro's word, however, and finally got to his feet, looking tired.

"Good… remember, you promised." Luffy turned and stumbled to the couch, dragging his feet tiredly.

They were silent for the rest of the evening, keeping the TV on well into the night. Zoro guessed the idea of sleep after such a frightening ordeal was just as unappealing to Luffy as it was for him, maybe more. Zoro guessed it had been a shock for Luffy, the realization that the threat to his life was very real. Luffy had been so preoccupied worrying about Ace that he probably hadn't even taken a second to consider Marco's warning about his own safety. While Zoro would never suggest that Luffy's near death, nor his own ineptitude, were a good thing, perhaps this had been a good wake up call for Luffy.

They never did go to bed that night, instead Luffy pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and slept in the Living room. Zoro couldn't sleep at all, choosing to lie in the middle of the living room where he could keep his senses tuned in to every corner of the apartment. He was exhausted, but that was a small price to pay. His promise to Luffy to never die lingered in the back of his mind, weighing on his heart. He hated breaking promises, especially promises that he should, in a fair and just world, be able to keep. However, he also knew that he could never fail like he had today again. He would never let that Blackbeard bastard near Luffy, even if it killed him.

* * *

A/N

So, originally I didn't even have a chapter for Franky and Robin since as Luffy's teachers it was hard to incorporate them into his personal life the way the others were. When the idea came to have the CP9 characters attack Luffy and Zoro in the streets, however, I thought who better to bust them out of trouble than Franky and Robin? They are all the main characters in the Water 7 arc after all.

I actually had someone ask in the comments if Lucci and Kaku would be in the story the way they were in the original, Loyal, but I wanted to think up a role for them that suited their characters more. I'm not a fan of Yaoi and so you won't be seeing any of that in this story. In case some of you are wondering, Robin and Franky are not together either, (though you can see it that way if you wish), it's purely camaraderie.

I'm sorry some of the characters probably still seem a bit OOC. The CP9 characters would never mistake a target in the OP world, and Luffy wouldn't normally be so traumatized. Like I said it was a last minute chapter, plus, Luffy's character is already much more innocent and naive than he is in the OP world. Zoro might feel a bit... underwhelming too, but keep in mind he was trying to fight off five CP9 agents without his swords, so...

As a side note, I'm actually trained to be a teacher and pretty much everything Franky and Robin did with Luffy would totally get them fired in the real world. Traveling unaccompanied with a student, letting him into their home, exchanging phone numbers, and worst of all not going to the authorities after an attack on their student, are all highly inappropriate teacher/student behavior. I know this is a fictional city, but the teacher in me still wanted to make the story as realistic as possible so I tried to justify it somewhat.

The conversation between Luffy and Zoro at the end was something I'd been trying to find a spot for for quite a while too, it fit so perfectly here I just had to add it.

Anyway, thanks again for all the reviews, favorites, and follows, guys.


	11. Chapter 11: The Black Cat

A/N

So, this has been the longest gap between updates yet. I know a week is not a long time by many author's standards, but from personal experience I know how hard it is for the readers to wait that long, so sorry. The last chapter gained some interesting reviews as I had expected. I wasn't completely happy with the way it turned out but I think the readers have been enjoying it so far, which is a relief.

The last couple of chapters have been completely written on the fly unlike the first 8 which I had had written for several months already so they took a bit more time to write between updates. This one was pre-written but I've been fiddling around with some new ideas for the past few days trying to add some more characters before I decided to just go back to my original plan. That's why it took me so long to post. I've decided I might add some bonus chapters at the end with scenes that I couldn't fit into the story. Some are just scenes, but one of them turned out to be a three chapter monstrosity that was just too much to work around without altering the point of my story. Anyway. We're coming close to the end so stay tuned.

Thanks all you loyal followers and favors, keep up the reviews!

I don't own One Piece, enjoy:)

* * *

Chapter 11: Black Cat

Zoro wanted to refuse to let Luffy go to school the next day, but Luffy insisted. He had homework due, after all. They did use another rout to get there though, and Zoro didn't leave Luffy at the gate like he normally did. He decided he would not be working while Luffy was at school that day, the risk that their attackers from the night before would show up again was too great. Instead, Zoro walked around the whole outside of the building, sniffing and scratching at every corner, window, and door to be sure the attackers hadn't come anywhere near the school. Once he was sure the school was safe for the moment, Zoro chose a hidden alcove in the hedges by the fence and waited, keeping his ears and eyes trained on the school for any suspicious movement.

It was a long day of waiting and he was sure Sanji would be furious that he had pulled a no show at work, but the curly-cook would have to live with it. Luffy's safety took priority. Luffy probably wouldn't even tell Sanji about what happened, so Zoro couldn't depend on him to keep an eye out for those people. It all fell on Zoro.

Luckily, nothing suspicious happened that day, and when the end-of-day bell rang and Luffy came sprinting out of the school amidst the swarm of other teenagers, he was grinning broadly. He was closely followed by Usopp, who looked equally excited. As Zoro crawled out of his hiding spot and trotted to the gate to greet them, the two boys were panting with barely contained glee.

"Guess what, Zoro!" Luffy giggled, throwing an arm around Usopp's shoulders. "Usopp got a job at the Baratie, we're gon'a be coworkers now!"

Usopp grinned and lifted his chin proudly. "Well naturally my good work ethic and experience serving others played a major role in getting the job. Sanji was so impressed he practically begged me to become manager right then and there. I had to refuse though, didn't fit my schedule, unfortunately."

"Really?" Luffy gawked.

"Of course! I wouldn't lie about my own greatness."

Zoro rolled his eyes as Usopp continued to blabber about his many talents in cooking and running restaurants. It was a relief to see Luffy so carefree and happy again.

"Usopp's got a shift with us tonight, Zoro. I get to train him!" Luffy announced next, leaping over the fence to join the dog.

"Ha! Or maybe I'll teach you a thing or two, Luffy!" Usopp laughed, clambering after his friend with considerably less agility.

The three of them walked to the restaurant together from the school. Zoro stayed several paces behind the two boys, his ears swiveling back and forth and his nose working on overdrive for signs of danger. Luckily Luffy seemed too preoccupied talking to Usopp about his duties at the restaurant for him to notice Zoro's distance. As Zoro had hoped, they were left alone to arrive at the restaurant in peace. He knew Luffy would be safe once he was in the restaurant with Sanji and took up his post in his booth on the porch with a sigh of relief. It would be nice to let someone else do Luffy babysitting for a few hours. Usopp stared at Zoro as he sat at his post with a confused frown.

"Is Zoro supposed to stay there the whole time you're at work?" he asked, turning to Luffy. Luffy giggled, grinning proudly at Zoro.

"Yeah, didn't I tell you, Zoro's the bouncer here. He keeps away the trouble makers. It's safe enough to let people eat on the patio with him around. Speaking of which, one of our jobs is to make sure the patio stays clear. We get lots of leaves in the fall."

"So, if Zoro's allowed to be here at work, could I bring Chopper too?" Usopp asked, seemingly ignoring Luffy's explanation. Luffy didn't seem to mind and grinned at the suggestion.

"Ooh! that'd be awesome, wouldn't it? You should bring him tomorrow, he could help Zoro guard."

"Yeah!"

Usopp and Luffy began to chat animatedly about how the restaurant would be twice as safe with two dogs guarding it as they left Zoro at his booth and went inside. Zoro just let out an exasperated groan. The last thing he wanted right now was another hapless pup to watch over. He hoped Sanji would give the idea a resounding no when he found out.

* * *

Unfortunately for Zoro, Sanji wholeheartedly agreed to Chopper joining them for Usopp's shifts. Zoro was certain the irritating chef had given his permission purely to annoy him and made a note to pee in the flower planters for it. The next day, Usopp brought Chopper and left him with Zoro in his booth. Chopper immediately set to bouncing around his new companion, yipping gleefully for Zoro to play. As usual, Zoro found it difficult to convince the puppy that he didn't want to play, or cuddle for that matter as that was the next activity on Chopper's mind. Zoro recalled Luffy saying something about Chopper joining him to help, and decided to try a different tactic, teaching the puppy to guard.

"Sit," Zoro ordered. As if involuntarily, Chopper's rump hit the pavement, wiggling slightly as the stubby tail kept wagging excitedly. Zoro groaned inwardly but nodded approvingly at his attention. "Good. Guard," Zoro continued, and the pup tilted his head in confusion.

"Guard?"

"Yes. Guard. Watch for bad people. Keep bad people away," Zoro explained, showing Chopper how he sat facing the street, scanning passersby for suspicious behavior.

"Guard." Chopper nodded in understanding and copied Zoro, scanning people as they walked by. It became apparent that he had no idea what he was watching for, so Zoro pointed out suspicious behaviors when he saw them. Too much eye contact, too little eye contact, fidgeting hands, discreetly reaching into pockets or jackets and groups converging on corners. He pointed out things only dogs would notice too, like smells and sounds that humans wouldn't be able to detect or hide. Chopper soaked it all up, his eyes wide as he committed it all to memory.

Zoro was actually pretty impressed at his success. He didn't expect to make the puppy into a guard dog, but at least he wasn't pestering him to play anymore, and Chopper was clearly taking the role to heart. The two of them sat at Zoro's post together during Usopp's shifts, and Zoro was even beginning to enjoy the small dog's company. He had a job to do after all, not only keeping the customers at the restaurant safe, but Luffy as well. There was no harm in having an extra pair of eyes and ears open for potential attackers.

Despite the continuous drizzly weather, customers frequently ate on the patio now. Zoro didn't mind, they distracted Chopper by cooing over him and offering him pets and they gave Luffy an excuse to come out and visit Zoro while he cleaned up their tables and brought them food.

It had been almost a week since the four suited attackers had gone after Luffy. Zoro was still wary of strangers who approached them while out on the streets on their way to Luffy's school and work, but he felt relatively safe at the restaurant with Sanji and the other employees there to keep an eye one Luffy as well. It was still early in their shift and Luffy came onto the patio to clear the tables after some customers had left. Usopp joined him, sweeping debris off the patio tiles and picking up trash that blown in from the streets. The two of them chatted as they mulled about and Zoro listened to their conversations with half an ear as he watched the streets. Chopper was taking his own role as guard dog very seriously and the sight of the small brown pup sitting at attention beside him with his stubby tail and ears erect almost made Zoro smile.

He was rolling his eyes at a another one of Usopp's boastful stories when Chopper alerted him to the arrival of a sleek black car just before it pulled up in front of the restaurant. Zoro had no reason to be suspicious yet but he watched the passengers carefully just the same. The restaurant had become more popular with higher class residents of the twenties districts so fancy cars weren't as unusual now as they were a few months ago. Zoro had grown suspicious of anyone who wore a suit now, however, after what happened the week before.

The driver stayed in the car, but a tall, dark-haired man with glasses in what appeared to be a butler's uniform, stepped carefully out of the back seat. He glanced around at the restaurant with a look of distain before reaching into the back seat to help a slender young woman with blond hair out of the car.

"Kaya!" Usopp's voice chimed and Zoro turned to see the long-nosed boy beaming with red cheeks at their latest customer, his broom still poised to swipe in midair.

The blond girl's face broke into a pleasant smile and she waved cheerfully. "Usopp, I came!"

"I'm so glad," Usopp chuckled, finally dropping his broom and placing his hands on his hips with a proud grin. "This is the finest restaurant this side of the city, make no doubt about it. You won't be disappointed."

"I can't wait to see what's on the menu," Kaya giggled. She glanced around the patio with an air of intrigue. "People eat out here on the patio? I would love to try."

"Of course!" Luffy burst in, leaning over Usopp's shoulder from behind and grinning infectiously. "I'll take your order!"

Kaya beamed and seemed as if she was just about to take a seat when her butler coughed for her attention. "Miss Kaya, if you insist on eating at this establishment, I strongly advise you to remain indoors. It wouldn't be proper for a lady of your class to eat in the presence of…" he turned to glare at none other than Zoro and Chopper, his eyes squinting distastefully, "…street dogs"

"Zoro's not a street dog," Luffy corrected, still smiling but Zoro detected a hint of warning in his tone. "He's our bouncer, he keeps the customers safe while they eat."

"And Chopper's my dog, he's Zoro's apprentice," Usopp added, grinning proudly at his puppy. Kaya's eyes lit up curiously but the butler shook his head.

"A restaurant allowing its employees to bring their pets to work is absolutely preposterous," he sniffed, lifting a hand to prop his glasses higher onto his nose with the palm of his hand. "What kind of place is this? Certainly, not to my lady's standards."

"Klahadore please, I don't mind. I want to eat here," Kaya pleaded, frowning in embarrassment.

"Yeah old man, let her decide for herself," Luffy agreed. The butler's eyes narrowed and Zoro got a strong sense of malice from him, making the fur on his spine prickle. Apparently, Chopper had detected it as well as the pup immediately whimpered and scuttled behind him.

"And who, may I ask, are you?" the butler demanded, stepping forward to loom over Luffy and staring at him down his nose. Luffy didn't seem in the least bit intimidated and he glared right back at the man.

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy. I'm a waiter here."

A strange flicker of surprise crossed the butler's face and he opened his mouth to reply before seeming to change his mind and closing it again. Warning signals began blaring in Zoro's subconscious so that he was all but seeing red. This man was dangerous, and now he knew Luffy's name. It took only a moment for Zoro to force his instincts to quiet down so he could think rationally again. The man was clearly a smarmy bastard, but that didn't make him dangerous, or mean that he was going to come after Luffy. He had to calm down and continue to observe the situation.

"I see," the butler finally said after a few seconds. "And I supposed you think a mere waiter has any right to decide what is best for my lady?"

"Klahadore," Kaya pleaded. She turned to Luffy and Usopp, wringing her hands in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Luffy and Usopp. Klahadore means well, he's just looking out for me."

Usopp and Luffy cast each other doubtful glances, but with a shake of his head and a flourish Usopp held out his arm to the door for her. "Well, either way, would you like me to show you to a table _indoors,_ Kaya?"

Kaya nodded, sighing gratefully. Klahadore was surprisingly silent and allowed Usopp to guide them inside. He cast Luffy a steely glare as they passed, and Zoro couldn't help the low rumble in his chest. Luffy just stared after them, frowning in confusion. He turned and cast Zoro a bemused frown.

"What a jerk," he snorted. Zoro tried to hide his own misgivings as Luffy continued with his business, but behind him he could feel Chopper trembling. He glanced back at the puppy and Chopper looked up at him.

"B-bad p-person?" Chopper whimpered.

"Bad person," Zoro agreed with a nod. He would have to keep an eye on him.

Zoro was glad Chopper was there to watch the street for the next few hours. It gave him a chance to turn around and watch the inside of the restaurant instead. He could just see Kaya sitting at a table near the window to the left of the patio with Klahadore standing at attention behind her seat. The butler's eyes moved across the room with a steady gaze as the night wore on. Zoro wasn't sure, but he had a feeling the person the butler's eyes were trained on was Luffy.

* * *

Luffy was unaware of Zoro's paranoia throughout the next day. Zoro had seemed a bit jumpy, at least jumpier than usual the night before, but the dog hadn't tried to communicate any misgivings to Luffy so he figured it was nothing to be concerned about. The two of them took a random rout to school that day, making sure to steer clear of alleys if they could, and Zoro dropped Luffy off as usual. The weather was surprisingly sunny that day too, which just made the day seem even more relaxed and normal.

When the end of day school bell rang, Luffy waited by the main entrance for Zoro to come and walk to the restaurant with him as usual. Usopp was supposed to walk with them as well, but today he had been given detention for telling the teacher that gnomes living in his walls had stolen his homework. Luffy normally waited just inside the archway above the door to the building. Bullies left him alone there since he was still in view of the office within and he would be able to see Zoro approaching from down the street. Today though, the sun and blue sky were too nice to hide from, so Luffy decided to walk across the schoolyard and wait on the benches by the fence instead. He hadn't been sitting long when he spotted a strange man approaching from up the street.

The man was tall and thin, with greasy black shoulder-length hair that was slicked to his head and a sickly pale complexion. He wore a shirt patterned with tiny purple crosses with what appeared to be a plain black jumpsuit over top. He tapped his feet like a dancer as he walked and he held a long red cane that he twirled around his finger now and then.

A lot of strangers passed the school, it was next to a busy street and close to the park after all, but something about the way the man sauntered up to him made Luffy stare. The man seemed to ignore Luffy right up until he was standing directly behind him on the other side of the fence where he suddenly stopped.

"Hello Luffy." The man smiled, his tone cheerful.

Luffy frowned. "Uh… Hi?"

"It's a lovely day today, wouldn't you say?"

Luffy looked up at the clear sky and nodded. While the man had given him no reason to be alarmed he was starting to feel uneasy. How did this stranger know his name? The man grinned and twirled his cane around his wrist.

"You don't know who I am, do you?" Luffy shook his head and the stranger chuckled. "My name is Laffite, and I came to collect you."

"Collect me?" Luffy felt his heart begin to race and he stood up to face the man.

"Yes, my boss wants to meet you, you see? He's heard so much about you. He's a friend of your brother you see."

"Ace? W-who would…?"

"Now don't be alarmed, Luffy. We'll be gentle so long as you obey, okay?"

Luffy didn't have time to comprehend what Laffite was saying before he felt a huge hand cover his mouth from behind and lift him off the ground. He struggled as he felt the life getting squeezed out of him, but within moments the world turned dark and he fell limp. The massive man holding Luffy in his grip hoisted Luffy up so that he was carrying him bridal style and stepped over the fence to join Laffite. A car pulled up and a sickly man with a sweaty face and lank grey hair leaned out from the back seat.

"Hurry up then, Burgess, get him in before someone sees!"

Laffite and Burgess obeyed and as soon as the doors closed the vehicle sped away down the street. No one in the schoolyard cared to notice, except for the small brown dog waiting for his master by the hedge.

* * *

Zoro trotted leisurely up the street towards the school with his tail held high. People who passed only cast him noted glances or ignored him completely now. Even though he and Luffy had been taking different routs to and from school the past few days, this was as much routine for them as it was for him and most people on this street realized by now that Zoro was harmless despite his intimidating appearance. His path was unobstructed therefore, no one chased him away and no one dared to cross him. It gave Zoro a feeling of confidence he hadn't felt since he was a human. The good weather wasn't so bad either and Zoro was actually looking forward to spending an evening outside the restaurant on guard duty.

He was barely within a block of the school when Zoro's stomach suddenly churned with a nameless dread that almost forced him to a stop. He turned in a confused daze, not understanding where the feeling was coming from. He had had moments like this before. As a human his instincts had been strong, but as a dog he found they could be almost like a force that drew him to act unconsciously. It was instinct that made fear smell sour and malicious intent smell of rotten flesh. It was instinct that warned him of gangs around a corner before he drew near, or rain in the air before the clouds could form. Zoro's instincts were screaming at him now and he knew there was only one thing they could be telling him. Something had happened to Luffy.

Zoro bolted, his feet thundering as he galloped the rest of the way until he reached the wrought iron fence that surrounded the yard of Luffy's school. Immediately he picked up Luffy's scent pooled on a bench near the fence. The scent was still fresh so Luffy had been there recently, possibly only minutes ago, but the scent didn't seem to lead anywhere. Two more scents mingled with Luffy's and the smells of other students in the yard. They were strange to Zoro and as he breathed the smells in he detected a terrifying rotten stench. Whoever these smells belonged to, they had taken Luffy, but they had disappeared too, vanishing near the curb a few feet away. They must have taken Luffy away in a car.

Desperate, Zoro spun circles, his senses becoming muddled and confused by the blood pounding in his own ears and the smells of the busy schoolyard and street around him. What should he do? How would he find them? Who took Luffy?

The answer to the final question came to Zoro an instant later. Teach had something to do with it, but Zoro had no idea where he might have taken him. Zoro had the kidnappers' scents but he didn't even know which direction they had gone. He was willing to try running in either direction to see if he could pick up the scent trail somewhere down the road when he heard a small whimper from the hedges near the edge of the fence. He turned and immediately spotted Chopper peering out at him from the bushes.

"Chopper! Did you see what happened? Did you see who took Luffy?!" Zoro demanded, nearly frightening the puppy as he all but pounced upon him in his eagerness. Chopper looked bewildered for a moment, not understanding Zoro in his haste with all his big words. Zoro growled in frustration. "See… bad people? Take away… Friend? Where take friend?"

Chopper seemed to understand this much easier and he pricked his ears thoughtfully.

"Chopper see. Men who smell rotten. Boy, smell sour. Rotten men take boy in road monster."

"Which way?" Zoro demanded. Chopper pointed his nose to the east.

"Thank you!" Zoro turned without another word and ran, his feet moving so quickly he felt as if he were flying. People on the sidewalks skittered out of the way as he tore past them. If someone was too slow, he plowed into them and kept running, ignoring any shouts of indignation thrown at him. He realized as he was running that he was heading towards the restaurant again. He could easily stop by and alert Sanji. Aside from the direction he had no idea where he was going. Sanji could do what Zoro could not, Sanji could call for help and in the meantime Zoro could continue searching.

His course decided, Zoro turned and headed for the restaurant, sliding to a stop in front of the old building minutes later. He ignored the shouts of alarm as he wove through customers dining on the patio and pushed through the doors. Nami spotted him immediately and stood up to shout at him to get out, but Zoro sped past her before she could say anything and headed for the kitchen. He spotted Sanji at once and barked for his attention. Sanji nearly threw a tray of soup bowls across the room in alarm and whirled on Zoro, his eyes wide.

Zoro barked and growled, turning his head and tapping his feet impatiently, anything to get the cook to see something was wrong, something out there, something important.

Sanji seemed to catch on within moments and his face drained of color. "Luffy!?" he breathed, shoving the tray into Carne's hands and bending down to sit at eye level with Zoro.

"What's going on, Zoro? Where's Luffy?"

"I don't know!" Zoro barked, whimpering anxiously. "Teach took him! Don't you get it Curly Brow? Teach has Luffy and I don't know where they took him!"

Sanji frowned, his frustration evident as he struggled to understand Zoro's words. After a few moments he glanced over at the confused faces of his employees and customers watching them.

"Follow me," Sanji ordered as he stood up and led Zoro into the office. When they were finally alone, Sanji turned to Zoro again. "Ok, yes or no quiz. Did something happen to Luffy?"

Zoro nodded vigorously, his ears flapping against his head.

"Is it Teach?"

Another nod.

"Kidnapped?"

Yes

"Do you know where they took him?"

Zoro shook his head, growling in frustration again.

"Do you have any idea how to find them?"

Zoro nodded and lifted his nose, sniffing loudly to indicate he had the culprits' scents, then spun in a circle to show that he had lost it.

Sanji rubbed his temples with a pained scowl. "Would you know their scent if it was described to you?"

Zoro nodded. Sanji took out his phone and dialed a number, holding it to his ear as it began to ring. A moment later the phone was picked up on the other side and Zoro heard a familiar sleepy voice on the other end. Zoro listened from his side of the conversation with baited breath, nervous to see what Sanji had planned.

"Marco? Teach's got Luffy… No I didn't see it but Zoro was there… he says he's got their scent, where can you think of that we might find Teach?... Don't worry about how I know what the dog saw, just trust me! … We don't have time for this, Bird Brain, just tell me where to look! ... The south sawmill?"

Zoro shook his head, it was in the wrong direction and he hadn't smelled anything like a sawmill on the kidnappers' scent.

"No… the Bleaker's pub?"

Again, Zoro shook his head. One scent smelled strongly of alcohol, but Zoro had been to the pub as a human and he knew it was the wrong smell.

"Not that one either … The Eastern Cannery warehouse?"

That one made Zoro's nose twitch as he recalled the strong scent of rotten fish and tin. He barked and nodded, making Sanji grin excitedly.

"Get going then, you mutt! I'll gather help!" Sanji ordered, giving Zoro a shove with his foot. Zoro didn't need encouragement and he sped out of the restaurant, leaving indignant customers in his wake. He knew where the old warehouse was, a huge dilapidated building near the edge of the canal that ran through the city. He would get there first if he ran fast.

"Hang on Luffy," Zoro panted. "I'm coming, just hang on!"

* * *

A/N

Dun-dun-duuuuuuuuun! And so it begins. The Blackbeard gang makes their appearance at last. Sorry it's another short chapter, and a bit of a cliffhanger.

I love writing Chopper's dog character, he's so innocent and eager to please, yet smart and loyal. I have a much clearer idea of his personality than you readers do though, because I started writing a whole other chapter about him before I scrapped due to writer's block. I might add it to my bonus chapters at the end of the story, you'd all think it's adorable.

Usopp is really easy to write just because his main personality traits are so obvious, he tells a lot of ridiculous tall tales about his own greatness, he gets nervous easily and he has childlike interests. He's even easier to write than Luffy, who I always seem to make too serious for some reason.

Just so people know, I really dislike using the words, 'Bastard', and 'Hell' in my writing, but I use them because having characters like Zoro and Sanji say words like 'jerk' and 'heck' just sounds stupid and out of character.

Thanks for all the review, favs and follows guys. You keep this story going :)


	12. Chapter 12: The Blackbeard Gang

Hello everyone! Sorry for the late update, I had a serious case of writer's block and lack of inspiration. I've had this chapter mostly finished since the beginning but I just couldn't figure out how to end it. Anyway, I hope you all like how it turned out.

I don't own One Piece, and enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 12: The Blackbeard Gang

Luffy awoke to complete blackness and a splitting headache. After a few moments of trying to collect his bearings he realized he was sitting propped up against a wall with his arms stretched out by some sort of itchy rope. He winced as his head throbbed painfully and his legs were completely numb as he attempted to straighten them out. His throat was dry as well and he was desperate for some water, but he knew he had to figure out where he was and why he was there first.

There was a very strong smell of fish in the air as well as rusted metal and tin. Sounds of creaking and groaning around him told him he was in a very large room that was probably supported by metal beams overhead. If he listened hard enough he could hear the sloshing of waves somewhere beyond the walls.

"I'm in that old fish warehouse," Luffy muttered to himself, recalling the building he and Ace used to explore when they were younger. He was relieved that one of his questions had been answered, though it hardly helped his situation. His second question, why he was here, was far more pressing and Luffy's heart raced in a panic as the only possibility came to mind.

As if summoned by his realization, the sound of scraping rusted metal came from somewhere across the room. A beam of dim light illuminated the floor far across the room, and Luffy could see figures passing through it, but there wasn't enough light to see who the figures were. Luffy waited, straining his eyes to see as he heard the crunch of footsteps approaching.

"W-who's there?" he demanded, his voice cracking with fear and dryness.

A low, menacing chuckle responded, making the hairs on Luffy's arms stand on end. "Gehahaha! Well, well, well, looks like Ace's elusive little brother has finally woken up from his nap."

Luffy strained his eyes, desperate to see who was speaking, but all he could make out were shadowy shapes in the dim, too dark to make out who or what they may be.

"Sorry about the rude welcome an' all," the voice continued, still chuckling lightly. "But I've heard from a few people that you tend to be a bit difficult to handle at times and I couldn't take any chances, you see? Anyways, you've probably guessed who I am by now."

"Blackbeard," Luffy snarled under his breath and swallowed the lump in his throat. "What do you want with me?"

"Gehahaha! Want? Kid, I want to take over this town, I want to be free to do as I please and not have to worry about gangs or cops getting in my way, and most of all I want to make Ace suffer, that's all I want."

"W-why? What did Ace ever do to you?"

More snickers from around the room made Luffy jump in alarm as he realized Blackbeard wasn't the only person there.

"The poor boy really doesn't know the first thing about life in a gang," said a familiar voice, probably that creepy Laffite guy who had helped kidnap Luffy earlier.

"Got'a hand it to Ace though, he did a good job making sure his brother stayed out of the gangs. It would have made it a heck of a lot easier to find him if he had been," another voice laughed, deeper and more menacing.

"Should have known the thug life would catch up to him in the end though," a smooth, sleepy voice droned.

"Heheheh, and now Ace is going to pay for it," a warbled voice chuckled, accented by a sickly cough.

There was a click and Luffy was suddenly blinded by a bright light. He hissed in pain and turned his head away. After a few moments his eyes finally started to adjust to the light and he was able to look up at his captors for the first time. He recognized Blackbeard the moment he saw him, though they had never met before. The man was large and heavy, with narrow shoulders and skinny legs that made him look off balance. His thick hair hung to his shoulders in greasy black curls but his face was poorly shaven making Luffy wonder why he bothered to call himself Blackbeard. At least a beard would hide the man's huge chin and hideously toothless grin. He looked every bit the smarmy scum that he was and Luffy failed to see what could have led his brother and his gang to trust such a man.

"You'll have to excuse my appearance," Blackbeard said, gesturing to his dingy attire. "Those friends of your brother have been getting a bit carried away since I left them so I've had to hide out for a while. Can't get a decent shower or set of clothes when your squatting in a warehouse."

Luffy scowled and turned to the four others standing behind Blackbeard. Laffite he recognized, and he guessed the huge, muscly man with the wrestlers mask beside him was the one who had knocked him out. There was a tall, skinny man with a monocle holding a long range rifle on Blackbeard's other side, and a sickly older man hunched over an equally sickly horse. Luffy didn't know any of them, but they all gave off the same cruel aura that Blackbeard did and it made Luffy feel sick to his stomach.

"What's your plan then?" Luffy asked, trying not to betray the fear in his voice. "To kill me? What good is that going to do you?"

"Gehahaha! You're a smart one I'll give you that. I'm not going to bore you with all the details, Kid, but it's all part of my master plan to keep the law off my back and the gangsters off my tail at the same time." Blackbeard stepped closer to Luffy and lowered himself into a squat in front of him, grinning toothlessly as he spoke. "You see, I've had this master plan for several years now, decades even. I'm no young thug, kid. I've been around for a while; different names, different faces, but I've seen it all. After a while I decided the simple life wasn't for me, I wanted something bigger, but it's hard for an old guy like me to climb the ladder of gangster hierarchy. I had to be smart about it.

"First, I needed to make all the gangs in the inner city trust me, let me into their groups. It wasn't that hard, I just had to play the harmless old coot who was a good listener and intel gatherer, most gangs would let someone like that in no questions asked and it would be easy to gain their confidence that way. Once I had everyone's trust I used them to my advantage, just sell out one gang to another and I've got a real profitable gig going.

"Then Ace comes along. You can guess how excited I was to join his group of upstarts, fresh blood you know, lots of juicy tidbits to pass on to their competitors. Then, just as things started getting interesting, Ace and his gang start beating down all my customers. I realized there was only one thing to do, start selling to a higher power. So I made plans to start this whole gig. It was slow to start and we hit a few bumps with Thatch finding out about it. Had to get rid of him in the end but I figured out a way to use it for our benefit. Just a bit of fake evidence here and there, some false alibies and a convincing witness and you have Ace as the murderer. I'm a free man and I've got the rest of the Spades and the Whitebeards by the balls. The one thing I wasn't counting on was you."

"Me?" Luffy croaked, feeling as if the very presence of Blackbeard was going to make him vomit. Blackbeard didn't seem to notice and nodded, chuckling as if it was all just a joke to him.

"Yeah, you. My witness says that Ace was alone with Thatch and the two of them had a fight which led to Thatch's murder. I didn't find out 'till later that Ace was home with you. All Ace has to do is say something, the court will bring you in for a statement and my whole case goes up in flames. Of course, Ace knew that would make you a target so he kept quiet about you, meaning he would stay in jail but who can blame the guy, you're his little brother after all.

"I've got some allies of my own, what with all the information I've been handing out, so I got people on the streets looking out for the brat with the Straw hat. I got'a say I was disappointed when Lucci and his group let you go last week. Those pompous corporate snobs are always fretting about protocol. Lucky for me a little birdy heard you were working at the Baratie and gave me a heads-up. Stupid of me, really, should have guessed you'd be with that Blackleg brat. I figured it'd be best to handle things on my own from there.

"So, here we are. If you want something done right, you got'a do it yourself, it seems. People on the streets might know you, but there's nothing in writing connecting you to Ace, so once you're out of the way Ace can make all the noise he wants and it won't make any difference to his case. There won't be any proof after all, I'll see to that."

"So you are going to kill me," Luffy surmised, glaring at Blackbeard with all the hate he could muster. "Go ahead, I don't care how carefully you pull it off. I may not be Ace's legal brother but everyone knows you're after me, they'll prove you did it."

"Even if they do, kid, I've been given virtual immunity in every jurisdiction in the province. A shred of evidence here or there will be overlooked so long as I'm providing the police with names."

The huge man with the bulging muscles huffed and cracked his knuckled loudly. "I don't know why you're explaining all this to him, Boss. Weren't we just going to kill him and toss him in the river?"

"Let me have a bit of fun, why don't you, Burgess?" Blackbeard wined.

"He's right, unfortunately," the sleepy sniper drawled, making Blackbeard frown. "People will have noticed the boy is missing by now and the Whitebeards know our usual hiding spots. They'll be here within the hour I'm sure."

Luffy's heart fluttered hopefully at that, but Blackbeard cackled dismissively. "We'll be done long before they get here, but if you're so worried, Augur, go stand watch."

The sniper nodded with a sigh and left, closing the creaking iron door behind him.

"First thing's first," Blackbeard sneered. He pulled out a switch blade and pressed it to Luffy's cheek under his right eye. "Let's give you a scar to match your other eye, shall we?"

Luffy refused to make a sound as he felt the blade slice his cheek and a trickle of blood dripped down to his chin. Blackbeard's three henchmen chuckled in amusement behind him.

"Me next, me next!" Burgess pleaded, raising his hand. Blackbeard looked like he was about to comply when a terrifying snarl echoed through the chamber and a large, green creature erupted out of the shadows, latching onto Blackbeard's shoulder and throwing the huge man to the ground with a startled squawk.

"ZORO!" Luffy bawled, pulling against the ropes that bound him as Blackbeard wrestled against the huge dog's jaws. Zoro tightened his teeth around Blackbeard's shoulder and shook it, hearing the pop of the bone dislocating as Blackbeard screamed.

"Gahhhh! Get this thing off me!" he bellowed. Burgess reacted first, lunging for Zoro and swinging his massive arms to swat the dog away. Zoro was quicker though, and in an instant he disengaged from Blackbeard's shoulder and sprang out of Burgess's reach. Laffite attacked next, drawing his cane and swinging it at Zoro's head like a baseball bat. Zoro ducked and lunged again, knocking Laffite's legs out from under him and sending the man sprawling to the ground. Burgess tried to intercept Zoro, jumping in front of him and bringing his fists down over Zoro's head. Zoro sensed the attack and tilted his head away, getting a glancing blow to his ear rather than having his head crushed. The blow sent Zoro spinning and Zoro saw stars for a moment as his earrings jingled against his head. He barely managed to side-step another attack from Laffite as the slender man tried to stab the narrow end of his cane through Zoro's ribs. Ducking out of the way, Zoro managed to scuttle a few feet away from the two attacking men and gain some time to recuperate and get his bearings a little.

He had been aiming for a surprise attack, but while he had managed to somewhat disarm Blackbeard, the others were quickly catching up. If he had had his swords, a surprise attack would have had all four men on the ground before they could react. Zoro grunted in frustration.

"Zoro! Look out!" Luffy suddenly shouted, and Zoro felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end as the sound of clopping hooves approached from behind. A familiar sound of singing steel bid Zoro to duck and roll, and the wide blade of a scythe barely clipped the fur off the tips of his ears. Rolling out of the way, Zoro spun on his haunches to face the man on the horse. Zoro had briefly forgotten about him, he had looked so sickly and weak Zoro had almost disregarded him as a non-combatant. He cursed himself for his own foolishness. Now that he saw the huge, double-bladed scythe looming over him, he realized that this was not going to be as easy as he had thought.

The man chuckled weakly and reined his horse in, twirling the scythe over his head leisurely and with a lot more finesse than his physical condition should allow for.

"Heheheh! Forward, Stronger, let's crush that dog!" the sickly man crowed. The horse snorted and tossed its head low, stomping its hooves towards Zoro. Zoro didn't budge an inch, suddenly struck by an idea.

Zoro barked, lunging at the horse with his teeth bared and his hackles raised menacingly. He snapped at its hooves and reached for its throat. The horse's eyes grew wide and it reared back with a terrified whinny. Zoro grinned devilishly. No matter how big or brave a horse was it was still a prey animal and instinct would always kick in before logic won out in the face of danger.

The sickly man screamed as he was suddenly thrown off his horse's back, knocking his head on the concrete floor and sending his scythe clattering into a corner. The horse turned and fled, disappearing out of the warehouse and leaving its rider unconscious on the ground.

"Doc Q!" Burgess shouted, coming to check on his sickly companion before glaring up at Zoro.

Blackbeard growled as he finally managing to heave himself to his feet with his dislocated arm clutched to his chest. "What the hell are you lot doing?! It's just a dog!" he bellowed.

"That's no dog!" Burgess said, taking a step back as Zoro glared at him. "That's a monster!"

Zoro grinned, as he glared up at his three opponents who would dare lay a hand on Luffy. He glanced over at Luffy who was still bound with his arms stretched against the wall. Luffy's eyes were wide and filled with tears, a mixture of fear and hope as he watched. Zoro knew he had to get Luffy out, to do that he had to cut him free. He could chew the ropes free, but that would take time, and he doubted Blackbeard and his men would let him do that.

A glint of reflected light made Zoro blink and he glanced at Burgess. The huge man had a dagger tucked into his belt. Zoro grinned to himself, that was just what he needed.

"Laffite," Blackbeard grunted. "Get outside and tell Augur we've got an intruder. Something tells me this one's going to be trouble."

"No problem, Boss," Laffite chuckled. He turned and dashed nimbly out the door. Zoro let him go, one less person in his way of getting to Luffy. He saw Blackbeard reach behind him with his good arm and Luffy's eyes went wide.

"He's got a gun, Zoro!"

Zoro shot forward, zigzagging as he saw Blackbeard draw his weapon and aim. Three shots rang out but they pinged harmlessly against the floor. Burgess lunged to intercept him and Zoro sprang over the man's shoulders, causing Burgess's fist to slam into the concrete floor instead of him in an explosion of dust.

"That guy's strong," Zoro observed warily. As soon as he was behind Burgess, the man attempted to twist around and reach for Zoro with one of his huge, meaty hands, but Zoro had already ducked the other way and clamped his teeth around the hilt of the dagger at Burgess' waist. Before the muscle man realized, Zoro slipped the knife free and ducked under his legs again, dashing towards Blackbeard and Luffy again.

"You mutt!" Blackbeard bellowed, aiming his gun again and shooting two more rounds, but Zoro dodged them easily and leapt into the air. He sailed easily over Blackbeard's head and landed lightly in front of Luffy. With a flick of his strong neck and two loud scraping sounds, Zoro sliced through the ropes that bound Luffy's hands. Luffy dropped unceremoniously onto all fours but Zoro didn't have time to check that he was alright before he was intercepting another attack from Burgess.

"Gi'me back my dagger, you bastard!" Burgess bellowed, now swinging his arms like some kind of deranged windmill.

"What are you waiting for, Burgess!" Blackbeard growled. "That dog released the kid! If he escapes we're as good as dead."

Blackbeard lifted his gun and aimed it at Luffy only to find that the boy wasn't leaning against the wall anymore. With a roar Luffy suddenly sprang from somewhere behind them and wrapped his arms around Burgess' neck. He wasn't heavy enough to knock the huge man down, but Burgess' arms were too thick for him to be able to reach far enough over his shoulders to pull Luffy off.

Grunting with the effort, Luffy began to squeeze, his wiry arms far stronger than they appeared. Within seconds Burgess' eyes widened in alarm and his face started to turn blue.

Blackbeard looked like he was going to try and knock Luffy off his man, but he was intercepted by Zoro, who leapt in front of him and flexed his neck, causing the dagger in his jaws to slice across Blackbeard's shins and send the man crumpling to the floor, screaming with furry and pain.

Zoro grinned. The dagger wasn't even close to having one of his prized katana clenched in his jaws again, but it was a glorious feeling just the same. As Luffy continued to squeeze the life out of Burgess behind him and Blackbeard struggled to get back to his feet in front of him, it seemed as if they might actually beat these guys.

A shot rang out, making Zoro jump as a sharp pain lanced across his back and he ducked, turning his head wildly in search of the new enemy. It had been neither Blackbeard nor Burgess who had fired the shot, so the man with the rifle must have returned. Zoro felt the wound on his back sting. It had been a glancing hit behind his shoulder blades, barely half and inch lower and it could have severed his spine. Luckily, aside from the pain it was harmless, but unless Zoro could locate the sniper there was no guarantee he could avoid the next one. Another shot rang out and Zoro heard Luffy yelp. He spun around in alarm and saw the boy suddenly release his grip around Burgess' throat and fall back, a red stain already blooming over Luffy's right shoulder as he crashed onto his back on the floor. Burgess crumpled to the floor, gasping for breath but still very much able to fight again.

"Luffy!" Zoro barked, immediately turning his back to Blackbeard to rush to Luffy's defense.

"Quit playing, Auger!" Blackbeard grunted, grinning now that Zoro and Luffy's attacks had been thwarted. "Just finish them off, we've got no more time to mess with these two."

Zoro heard the click of a gun getting cocked somewhere above him. Luffy's eyes had grown wide, staring upwards at what was likely the sniper himself propped in the rafters above them. Zoro's heart was pounding. He was still too far away to intercept the shot and save Luffy if the shot was aimed at him, and without knowing the exact location of the shooter he couldn't dodge a shot aimed at himself. At least one of them was about to die.

Zoro closed his eyes, not wanting to see either scenario play out, when he heard a roar of fury and a grunt of pain above him. He opened his eyes and saw the man with the monocle tumble to the ground in front of him, followed quickly by another man with blond hair wearing a black suit.

"Sanji!" Luffy cried gleefully, his face splitting into a relieved grin. Sanji alighted gracefully onto the ground beside Auger, and turned his face up to glare at Blackbeard. A shout from the shadows near the doorway was followed by Laffite getting thrown across the room, slamming into the wall on Zoro's left. Another blond man stepped in after him, his eyes half lidded and board-looking.

"Marcus!" Luffy shouted just as delightedly, now sitting up with his hand pressed around the wound in his shoulder.

"It's Marco," Marco sighed, rolling his eyes and stepping leisurely into the light of the floodlights that illuminated the room.

"There's more of them!" Blackbeard hissed furiously, his eyes now growing wide in alarm. Unfortunately, Laffite had not been permanently removed from the picture. Although he looked dazed and had a trickle of blood running down his forehead, he was already starting to get back to his feet. Burgess had also mostly recovered and drunkenly stumbled up, looming dangerously over Luffy's vulnerable form. Sanji had already positioned himself defensively in front of him, though, and Burgess frowned disappointedly at his lost chance. Auger, had been knocked out, either from the fall or from Sanji's kick, it didn't matter. That just left three enemies, and with Marco and Sanji here to help, that was a number Zoro could live with.

Zoro grinned devilishly and turned to face Blackbeard again. Blackbeard glowered down at him, his toothless mouth snarling warningly at the cursed dog. For better or worse, Zoro was going to finish this, today.

* * *

A/N

So, I noticed there was one detail that I had neglected to mention earlier in the story, but the Spade gang did join the Whitebeard gang, but more as allies than actual members of the gang. I could go back and fix it but I'm too lazy ;P

Sorry if the fight scene isn't very satisfying. I'm not very good at writing fights, but I wanted Zoro to be bad-ass for once. You're probably all thinking, 'this is the fight that's going to turn Zoro back into a human!'. I won't give any spoilers but don't worry, I have a bit more action yet to come though so I hope you can all bear with me.

Thanks for all the favs, follows, and reviews.


	13. Chapter 13: The Kitsune's Curse

Hey everyone! Woah, I took a long time to update this time, sorry about that. I'm glad this story is coming to an end soon, you have no idea how hard it is for me to finish stories, I almost always lose momentum halfway through and can't finish. This one has been a lot of fun to write though. Your reviews and follows have been keeping me going too, so thank you everyone who's been sticking with me!

I don't own One Piece, enjoy!

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Chapter 13: The Kitsune's Curse

Zoro was only semi-aware of Sanji swinging a leg up to connect with Burgess' head and Marco charging across the room to slam into Laffite, who met the contact with a knee to Marco's stomach. Content that they were dealing with the two underlings, Zoro returned all his attention to Blackbeard himself. The huge, barrel-chested man was looming over Zoro, his face slick with sweat and his dislocated arm curled defensively to his chest. The slash to his shins was superficial, much to Zoro's disappointment, but that mattered little.

Blackbeard seemed to realize that the single shot left in his gun would be wasted on Zoro and tucked it back into his belt, using his good arm to reach for a long, deadly knife instead. Zoro could tell the man was tired and hurting, but as Blackbeard took up a defensive stance and held the knife out towards him, he knew Blackbeard had at least some skills with weapons. Zoro gripped Burgess's knife harder in his teeth, tensing his neck and jaw muscles like one might flex their shoulders in a regular sword fight.

Blackbeard growled and lunged, slicing his knife down in an arch over Zoro's head. Zoro barely managed to dodge, ducking under the blade and skirting to the side, trying to get closer to the huge man. Despite his size and injuries, however, Blackbeard was not slow, and he twisted out of the way of Zoro's advance, swinging his knife down again in repeated, arches and slashes. The movements were too erratic and too fast for Zoro to predict, he couldn't find an opening. Zoro finally allowed the two knives to clash together, flicking his neck and ducking under Blackbeard's arm. Blackbeard bellowed in pain as Zoro slammed into his injured legs, but he didn't crumple as Zoro had hoped, instead he slammed the hilt of his knife downwards into Zoro's ribs before the dog could scramble out of the way. Zoro couldn't stop the breathless yelp that escaped his mouth as the wind was knocked out of his lungs. He heard a concerned shout that sounded like Luffy, but paid it no mind. He could feel Blackbeard's fingers trying to grab onto his fur around his ribs and wriggled free just in time, scrambling several feet away from Blackbeard and finally managing to catch his breath.

Pained grunts and several heavy thuds made him glance to his right and he saw Sanji kicking Burgess mercilessly across the room. Zoro had never seen Sanji fight and grudgingly had to admit the chef was strong. His attacks seemed to be leg based, as Sanji snapped his steel enforced dress shoes up again and again, slamming into Burgess's head, shoulders and chest with the force of a wrecking ball. After his display of smashing the concrete earlier, Zoro knew Burgess was strong too, maybe even stronger than Sanji. He wasn't nearly as fast or coordinated though, and the huge wrestler man was barely managing to keep his feet under the onslaught of attacks Sanji was throwing at him.

Similar sounds of fighting were coming from a shadowed area behind Zoro and he guessed Marco and Laffite were in a similar situation. He spared a glance, knowing he didn't have time to be admiring his allies when Blackbeard was already turning to pursue him once again. Marco appeared to be more of a hand-to-hand martial artist, and he was aiming a variety of kicks and punches at Laffite. Laffite, unlike Burgess, wasn't countering with power, but with speed and agility, appearing to be leisurely, if not furiously, dodging and ducking the majority of Marco's attacks. The two seemed to be evenly matched in terms of speed, but in strength Zoro was betting on Marco.

Even with the two underlings occupied, Zoro had to know Luffy was safe. He wanted to look around for the injured teen, but Blackbeard was already upon him, charging like a bull with his knife slashing. Zoro bounded into the air, leaping over Blackbeard's head, not only to get behind his enemy but to have a chance to look around for Luffy more. He finally spotted him, sitting against the wall in the shadows, his left hand clutching his right shoulder to stem the bleeding and his eyes wide with a mixture of horror and amazement as he watched his friends battle his enemies.

Content that Luffy was fine, Zoro returned his attention to Blackbeard. Luffy may be safe for now, but his shoulder still needed to be tended to. He would have to finish this quickly now. Dodging another swing from Blackbeard's knife, Zoro brought his own knife up and let it clash with Blackbeard's, tilting his head so the two blades were locked together. Blackbeard's expression morphed from a snarl to a grimace of effort as he struggled to overpower Zoro's jaw strength, even jiggling his knife to try and free it. Grinning slightly around the knife in his mouth, Zoro flicked his head, releasing Blackbeard's blade and slashing out with his own before the huge man could react. Blackbeard howled in pain as Zoro's knife sliced across his left side, making him stumble back.

Zoro had one more attack up his sleeve. Dropping the knife from his mouth, he lunged and gripped one of Blackbeard's injured legs in his strong jaws and yanked it out from beneath the huge man. Blackbeard gave an undignified yelp and crumpled, falling forward and slamming into the floor, face first.

At the same time, Zoro saw Burgess get blown backwards into the concrete wall by Sanji. A cloud of dust and debris showered the huge man as he made a few feeble attempts to get back to his feet before slumping to the floor, unconscious. Judging by the blood and bruises covering his face, his defeat was long overdue.

Behind them, Zoro heard Laffite give out a pained scream and saw him fall, clutching an apparently broken leg. With one final swing of Marco's fist, he too fell to the floor, lying unmoving at Marco's feet.

Blackbeard grunted painfully, managing to get his good arm underneath him again and pushing himself laboriously into a crouch. One glance at his only remaining underlings' defeat and his eyes grew wide in fury and fear.

"You Bastards!" he snarled, spit and blood flying from his mouth as he glared up at Sanji, Marco and Zoro.

"It's over, Teach," Marco droned, sounding board despite the intensity of the fight that had just happened. "It's time to give it up. You can't hurt Luffy anymore, and you can't hurt Ace. Tell the authorities you framed Ace and we won't kill you right now."

Blackbeard snarled, his toothless grin now blackened with blood. "As if it could be that easy." He heaved his legs up underneath him and propped himself into a stooped standing position. "There's nothing you can do! All my false evidence still stands, without that kid's alibi!" In a surprising display of coordination, considering his injuries, Blackbeard suddenly whirled around, drawing the gun out of his belt with his dislocated arm and aiming at Luffy.

Everything that happened next took less than half a second but for Zoro time seemed to have slowed to a stop. Without even thinking, he jumped forward, closing the distance between him and Blackbeard in a single stride. The bullet that had been intended for Luffy ripped through Zoro's chest and out his back shoulder, but he didn't feel it, his whole body had become numb.

This was the moment, he realized as Blackbeard's eyes grew wide in surprise, realizing what had happened. This was the moment the fox had been talking about. Finally, Zoro thought, a feeling of relief and unbelievable sadness washing over him. He had hoped that maybe he could break the curse by offering his life, but not necessarily giving it. Maybe there had been a way he could sacrifice himself and not die. Maybe he and Luffy really could be friends for the rest of their lives as humans. All kinds of scenarios had played out in Zoro's mind over the past six months in which he willing offered his life to save Luffy but came out alive in the end, yet, Zoro knew, unless he did so with the full intention of dyeing and for the sole purpose of protecting Luffy, the act would be worthless.

Leave it to the fox demon to make such pointless conditions to a curse. Just when everything was going so well for him, just when Zoro felt as if he had made his first true friend, he had to go and die. And he would die, Zoro knew that much for sure. He couldn't feel the bullet hitting him now, but once his feet hit the ground again and the shock wore off, adrenaline wouldn't be able to save him. He had to stay alive for just a little longer though, just long enough to make sure Luffy was safe. He was going to die, he'd never be human again, but if Luffy stayed alive it would be worth it.

As Blackbeard realized that his gun was empty after two more blank shots and Zoro was still coming at him, he drew out his knife once more and swung it up to impale the massive dog instead, but he was too late. With a roar of fury, Zoro collided with Blackbeard, knocking the already unbalanced man off his feet and sending him reeling, twisting as he fell to try and catch himself. Unable to untwist his blade in time, the knife in Blackbeard's hand sank into his chest instead as he crumpled to the ground. The huge man let out a gurgling yelp of surprise and horror as he realized what had happened before his body went limp and he lay still.

Zoro rolled off the body and managed to stumble a couple feet away before collapsing as well, his wounds finally catching up to him. It had only been half a second, but time had finally started again, and Zoro's time had run out.

"Zoro!" Luffy dashed across the space, dropping his hand from his wounded shoulder uncaringly and slid to a stop at the large dog's side. He choked at the sight of all the blood and reached his hand out to cradle Zoro's head. "Zoro! Stay with me! Zoro!"

Zoro blinked at him, his vision already failing and Luffy's words nothing more than a muffled noise.

 _"_ _Crap…"_ he thought, as he felt his mind slipping away. He was still in shock, so the wound to his chest wasn't hurting yet. He was glad, at least he could spend what few seconds he had with Luffy pain free. He lifted one shaking paw and pressed it to Luffy's chest, causing the boy to whimper and clutch the paw in his free hand. "I guess I'm going now, Kid," Zoro muttered, feeling his eyelids droop. "… Say hi to your brother for me. It's been… fun… and… thanks…"

Zoro's eyes finally slid shut and his head drooped heavily into Luffy's hand. Luffy's eyes grew wide as tears streamed down his cheeks.

"NO! No, no, no, no, no, Zoro! Don't go, please!" Luffy let out a wracking sob and leaned over his friend's body, his whole body shaking with the magnitude of his grief. "You promised!"

Sanji and Marco stood back a few feet away, their heads hanging sadly at the sight. Marco finally leaned down and felt for Blackbeard's pulse, turning to Sanji with a shake of his head to confirm the man's death.

"That was some dog," Sanji muttered quietly, trying not to choke on the genuine lump of distress in his throat as he watched Luffy cry. Marco nodded mutely in agreement.

* * *

Zoro wasn't sure how, but he found himself standing over the scene watching Luffy cry over the large green-haired dog on the dingy warehouse floor. It was strange seeing himself lying there covered in blood and motionless. He subconsciously reached up to where the bullet had pierced his chest and realized he had hands again. He was human, his body perfect and whole. He wasn't wearing any clothes, which he might have been self-conscious about if he didn't know no one could see him. He wasn't physically there after all, he was just a spirit, his own human soul finally having left the dog body that the Kitsune had given him. Once he had all that sorted out he turned his attention back to Luffy and his body.

The worst part of dying, he realized, was the fact that he couldn't stop Luffy from crying. Zoro could still feel his animalistic instincts screaming, 'protect Luffy, protect Luffy, PROTECT LUFFY!', but his human logic quelled his instincts.

" _Luffy will be fine,_ " he thought as he watched Sanji lean down to touch Luffy's shoulder comfortingly and Marco laid his jacket over Zoro's body to hide the blood. " _With Blackbeard gone, Ace will come back and Luffy will have a true big brother to look after him again. He'll never be alone again after this."_

"I have to say I'm rather surprised," a deep, rumbling voice said from behind him and Zoro jumped in alarm. Behind him, the nine-tailed fox sat observing the scene below with a smile of pleasant surprise. He glanced up at Zoro, still smiling. "I was certain you would die a mangy dog in the streets. Who would have thought you could end with such heartfelt theatrics?"

"Come to gloat?" Zoro snorted, turning back to the scene below him.

"About what? I just finished saying how you've exceeded all my expectations. If this were a bet, I would have lost, though I have a feeling you were just as doubtful as I was."

Zoro had to nod at that, not seeing any point in denying it. "You're right, I didn't expect to ever care more about someone else than myself. Luffy's my best friend, in the end I couldn't let him die."

"So, you've finally discovered what you're here to do? Or, are you still Roronoa Zoro the Daemon hunter?"

Zoro scoffed and shook his head, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He thought about everything that had happened since turning into a dog, how he had changed, how he had come to value the lives of others, and what he had been willing to sacrifice for the sake of someone else. "I know exactly what I'm here to do, but I'm still Roronoa Zoro the Daemon Hunter too." Zoro turned and cast the Kitsune a sly grin. "My purpose is to hunt the daemons who threaten my friends. I'd be a monster any day if I can do that."

The Kitsune barked a laugh, "Ha! So, you did it, you broke the curse. There's a first time for everything."

Zoro's grin faltered as he turned back to the crying boy before him. "Didn't do me any good in the end," he muttered, absentmindedly tracing the spot on his chest where his wound had been.

"But you are human again, Zoro," Kyubi shrugged, "just as I promised you would be. I'm a spirit of my word."

"A pointless promise if I'm just going to end up dead, though!" Zoro snapped, suddenly whirling on the Kitsune with a snarl. "I may look human, but I'll never get to be truly human again, and I have to leave Luffy for good. I would rather have stayed a dog forever than lose both. Now I have nothing!"

Kyubi sneered, and Zoro blinked as the fox's image began to waver before his eyes. "And yet, you still gave your life up for your friend. Despite your own desires, you realized your true purpose and acted on it. Like I said, I am a spirit of my word, Zoro. Show me how you are going to live this lesson from now on."

Zoro didn't have time to voice his confusion before he was suddenly engulfed in flames just as he had been the night the Kitsune had first transformed him into a dog. The flames were different this time though, blue and warm instead of burning hot. Zoro gasped as he felt something tightening in his chest and everything started to go blurry.

* * *

Luffy's tears had slowed to a gentle blubbering as he sat next to Zoro's dead body, stroking his head and smoothing his ears as if committing the feeling to memory. Sanji placed a hand on Luffy's shoulder and kneeled beside him.

"The police will be here in a few minutes," he informed him, his voice gentler and quieter than Luffy had ever heard it. "I can do the talking for now if you want."

Luffy lifted an arm and wiped the tears away from his face with a sniffle and nodded. "W-what are we going to do with Zoro?" he asked, turning to Sanji with red eyes. Sanji shook his head with a sigh, glancing down at the dog.

"Once we're done with the cops let's get you home for some rest. I'll have the geezer come get him and we can bury him tomorrow."

Luffy nodded mutely once more, though his face wrinkled with the threat of renewed tears at the mention of burying Zoro.

Marco stepped forward at that moment, having finished tying up Teach's four men and coughed awkwardly and Sanji turned to look at him.

"I'm going to head out before the cops get here if you don't mind," the spiky-haired blond said, frowning regrettably.

"Right, don't want the cops to know you were involved," Sanji agreed, nodding.

Marco cast Luffy one last apologetic glance before turning and disappearing into the night.

Sanji and Luffy sat in silence for a few more minutes, letting the reality of all that had happened sink in as they waited for the police to arrive. Sanji wasn't looking forward to explaining it, he had to come up with a good excuse for how he knew Luffy had been kidnapped and where to find him. It wouldn't be unreasonable for a dog to have led them to the warehouse and attacked the kidnappers, but Sanji didn't think the cops would believe that Zoro had explained Luffy's kidnapping to Sanji. He also had to avoid mentioning Marco's involvement. The Phoenix gangster was known to the police and would instantly become suspect if he was so much as mentioned in this situation.

The most important thing was keeping Luffy safe at the moment. Sanji didn't want Luffy to have to relive it all over again if he could help it, but the cops would definitely want a statement as soon as possible. It would be best for him to prepare what he was going to say.

Sanji placed a gentle hand on Luffy's shoulder again. "Listen Luffy, why don't we go wait outside? I know you don't want to leave him, but there's nothing more you can do."

Luffy tensed, and for a moment it seemed as if he was going to shrug Sanji off and refuse, but to Sanji's relief Luffy nodded mutely and shuffled to his feet. They were just about to turn and leave when Zoro's body suddenly burst into roaring blue flames.

"What the Hell!" Sanji yelped, leaping back.

"What's happening?!" Luffy cried, his eyes wide with surprise.

"I have no idea!" Sanji snapped, grabbing Luffy's shoulders to pull him away from the flames but Luffy swatted him away and stayed put.

Zoro's body began to move. Marco's jacket, which had been covering the body, disintegrated in the flames as Zoro's body started rising off the floor until it was in a semi-kneeling position. Sanji gasped but Luffy's gaping mouth formed a knowing grin. He stepped forward, his chest heaving in excited gasps as, slowy, the body began to change shape.

Zoro's legs and arms grew longer, his snout shrank back and his ears sank down. His fur began to melt away revealing tanned skin and leaving a head of green hair. After almost a minute of watching the gruesome transformation it became apparent that the shape of the figure within the flames was no longer of a dog but of a man. Finally, the flames died down, leaving the newly formed man kneeling where the dog once lay, his arms drooped to the floor at his sides and his head hanging. He was dressed in a simple white shirt and black sweatpants with a green waistband around his middle and what appeared to be a black bandana around his neck.

Luffy's eyes lit up in recognition and he took a tentative step forward, leaning down slightly to peer into the man's face. "Z-Zoro?" he whispered, his smile wavering only slightly as the man continued to sit motionless for several seconds.

Suddenly, the man gave a gasp and his eyes flew open, throwing his head back as he panted for air. Sanji swore and leapt back again but Luffy let out a triumphant laugh and lunged forward, throwing his arms around the kneeling man's shoulders as he struggled for air.

"ZORO! You're alive, I knew you'd never leave me like that!" Luffy sobbed into human-Zoro's shoulder. Zoro's whole body heaved as he struggled to refill his lungs with air. He had been dead for almost half an hour by then and apparently his body counted the lack of air during that time. His death wounds had vanished though, and after a few more deep breaths Zoro couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth and he reached up an exhausted arm to drape it over the younger teen's shoulders.

"…'course I wouldn't… I made a promise, didn't I?" Zoro chuckled into Luffy's shoulder. Luffy nodded, tears of joy streaming down his face as he clutched Zoro tighter.

* * *

A/N

So, there you have it! Zoro's human again, I'm sure you all saw it coming but it was a fun scene to write anyway. I still don't like writing fight scenes much but I think I did okay with this one. The fight scene is why this chapter took me so long to post, I just couldn't get the words out in a way that I liked. It's hard for me to write when there are lots of distractions and living with my eight-month-old niece gives me plenty of those. I managed to plug this out today while the house was empty though, yay!

I still have at least one more chapter to post for this story before it ends so that will be coming soon, and I might still add some bonus chapters too, but I'll take my own sweet time posting those. I think my creativity needs to work on a different project for a while to recharge.

Anyway, thanks everyone for the awesome reviews, favs, and follows. See you all soon with a new chapter!


	14. Chapter 14: Becoming Zoro

Hey all! So, everyone was asking to see how people were going to react to Zoro's new body so I realized I hadn't added nearly enough detail to the chapter I had completed so far. That's why it's taken me a long time to post again, I added so much that the last chapter morphed into two, so there will be an epilogue after this. Hopefully this chapter will give some of you the closure you've all been asking for, though. I'm really looking forward to hearing what you all think of it, so please leave a review:)

I don't own one piece, enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 14: Becoming Zoro

When the police arrived, Zoro hung back and allowed Sanji and Luffy to do the explaining. For one, he wasn't exactly a trusted citizen as far as the authorities were concerned so it was best that he stay out of the situation as much as possible. For another, speaking fluently was proving to be quite a challenge after having not spoken a word of human language in more than six months. In the few short conversations he'd been forced to have so far, he was only able to string together a few words before his mind became muddled again and he had to pause.

Luckily, Sanji was able to come up with a story that involved Sanji noticing Luffy's absence at work and Zoro spotting the kidnappers and pursuing them on his own. Luckily, the police seemed to accept that explanation without too much suspicion. The four unconscious gangsters were arrested and a coroner was summoned to confirm that Teach had died on his own knife. Luckily, while there were weapons involved, only the Blackbeard Gang's finger prints were traceable on them. The evidence pointed to self-defense in the three teens' favor and the they were permitted to go free once they gave their statements to the police.

Due to his injury, Luffy had to be taken to the hospital right away after only a few questions from the police. Luffy tried to sound as traumatized as he could as he gave his statement. It was clear that he was still almost bursting with joy that Zoro wasn't dead though, and he couldn't help casting Zoro distractingly huge grins over his shoulder as he recounted his version of the whole ordeal. The police gave encouraging feedback as they scheduled for a follow up report the next day and the paramedics finally took Luffy away to the hospital to tend to his shoulder. Sanji and Zoro were taken to the police station to give their own versions of the story and after almost three hours of interrogations a squad car finally volunteered to take them to the hospital to check up on Luffy.

When Sanji and Zoro stepped into Luffy's room at the hospital, they found him leaning leisurely against a stack of pillows in a hospital bed, digging into a cup of jello. He had already had the surgery to remove the bullet from his shoulder and his arm was now strapped tightly to his chest to hold it still. Apparently still slightly buzzed from the pain killers, at the sound of their approach Luffy's eyes grew so big and his grin so wide that Zoro could have sworn his face had to grow to accommodate them.

"Zorooooo! Sanjiiiii!" Luffy cheered, waving his jello cup enthusiastically. "You came! I was so worried, I thought I was going to have to stay here in this booooaring hospital all by myself, when there's sooooo much to talk about!" Luffy seemed to have forgotten about his jello cup momentarily as Zoro drew closer and he reached towards his green-haired friend with it still clutched in his hand. "Zoro! Zoro, Zoro, Zoro, Zoro! You didn't die! You saved my life and you came back to life and Blackbeard's gone!"

"Mmhmm," Zoro grunted as he passed Luffy and collapsed unbidden onto the empty hospital bed next to his with an exhausted groan.

Luffy's excited grin faltered suddenly as if his addled mind had come to an important realization. "Hey! Does that mean Ace can come home?! Sanji, can Ace come home now?"

"Yes, Luffy," Sanji sighed, nodding obligingly, "now we can see about getting Ace out of jail, but first, I have a few questions for you." Sanji closed the door and cast a cursory glance around the room, making sure there was no one to overheard them. Sanji stepped forward to stand at the foot of Luffy's bed with his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed. Zoro knew exactly what he was going to ask next. There wasn't really any point in denying the chef a proper explanation after all he had done for Luffy, and Zoro as well.

"Alright!" Sanji snapped, prompting Luffy and Zoro to give him similar expressions of patient attention as they waited for his slew of aggravated questions. Sanji's tone went from calm to panicked within a few short words. "What the HELL, is going on!?" He pointed a finger accusingly at Zoro. "You! You were a dog! A huge, green-haired, slobbery, flop-eared, fur-ball, four-legged, DOG! And THEN! Then you go and get yourself shot in the frick'n CHEST! And then you were all, fiery, and floaty, and… and then you were…human!" Sanji's words started to halt as if he was struggling to come up with the words to describe the impossible scene he had witnessed. Zoro failed to hide a smirk of amusement at how freaked out he was.

"Can't handle the madness, huh, Curly Cook? Don't worry, you'll get used to it," he chuckled making Sanji scowl down at him in irritation.

Luffy giggled, "That was the coolest thing ever, wasn't it Sanji? When Zoro was all blue flames and floating in the air and transformy!" Luffy made a bunch of whooshy, squelchy sound effects and flung his arm and jello cup around in some bazar imitation of Zoro's transformation.

"Did you know who he was the whole time?" Sanji exclaimed indignantly. Luffy nodded.

"Yeah, he told me. He was put under some weird mystery curse that turned him into a dog. I don't know why or how it was broken though." Luffy turned his head and stared at Zoro curiously. With an angry huff Sanji glared demanding at Zoro through his bangs.

"Explain," he ordered simply, his tone calm at last.

And so, with a resigned sigh, Zoro did. Haltingly at first, his voice was still hoarse and his words a bit slow, not to mention he was exhausted and, quite frankly, felt like crap seeing as he'd actually died earlier that night. Even with his lacking story-telling skills however, Zoro eventually managed to convey the gist of the events that had transpired on that windy hill all those months before.

Sanji listened without interrupting throughout Zoro's story, his brows furrowed and an unlit cigarette dissolving away in his mouth. Luffy, could barely sit still, leaning towards Zoro with his eyes huge and full of wonderment and his face beaming. He kept interrupting Zoro with gasps of amazement and exclamations of indignation until finally, with Zoro's story over, Sanji snapped at him to shut up so he could figure things out.

"So, let me get this straight," Sanji huffed, pulling the soggy cigarette out of his mouth. "You were turned into a dog by some ancient nine-tailed fox spirit because you beat some people up and broke his statue, and the only way you could become human again was by sacrificing yourself for someone you cared about. Does that about sum it up?"

"Pretty much," Zoro grunted, rubbing his temples.

Luffy cackled gleefully at the hilarity of it all. "Haha! This is awesome. I didn't even know those fox thingies existed," Luffy's eyes suddenly went wide and he leaned towards Zoro excitedly. "Zoro! Do you think the fox guy would turn me into a dog?"

"That's not funny, Luffy!" Sanji snapped.

"Shishishishishi! Sorry, sorry," Luffy giggled, leaning back into the couch. "But man, I can't wait to see everyone's faces when they realize the Daemon hunter Zoro isn't dead!"

Zoro rolled his eyes. "Don't go spreading this around, okay? I've still got a reputation to uphold you know," he grumbled, glaring at Luffy in a look that was startlingly similar to an expression he had used as a dog, which only made Luffy laugh harder.

Luckily, Sanji finally seemed to be satisfied with Zoro's explanation, at least for the time being. Deciding it was best for everyone to get some sleep, he left Zoro with Luffy and bid them good night, leaving Zoro to sleep on the empty bed next to Luffy's. Zoro wasn't sure if he was technically allowed to sleep there, but he hardly cared. He was so exhausted he had practically fallen asleep before Sanji even left the room, his head heavy with all that had happened and his body aching with the memories of nonexistent wounds.

Luffy was supposed to be sleeping in his own cot, resting away his injuries after all the stress he had endured that day. After what seemed like only a few minutes however, Zoro was roused by a heavy weight settling down on the mattress beside him. The weight slouched down against his shoulder and made the cot rock and squeak. The disturbance was enough to wake Zoro from his sleep but not fully comprehend who or what the weight was until he heard a soft whisper near his ear.

"I'm sorry, Zoro."

Zoro furrowed his brows in confusion and managed to pry his eyelids open to see Luffy's messy, black hair brushing against his face, only barely managing to comprehend the younger boy's words.

"Sorry?... For what?" Zoro breathed. This conversation was slightly familiar, but there was absolutely nothing for Luffy to be sorry for.

"You had to die for me, didn't you? You had to sacrifice your own life to save me because I'm too weak. No one I care about should have to get hurt to protect me. I'm sorry."

"Shut up," Zoro huffed, not in the least bit angry. He lifted a hand and brushed it comfortingly through his friend's hair, feeling the dark strands sifting easily through fingers for the first time. "I should be thanking you, Luffy. The only way I could have become human again was by dying for someone I care about. If it hadn't been for you, I'd be dead for real and the curse never would have been broken." Zoro gave Luffy's uninjured shoulder a gentle pat. "Thanks."

Luffy made a soft sound, and Zoro knew he was smiling. Luffy melted further into the cot and wrapped his good arm around Zoro's chest, quickly falling into a gentle sleep. He barely let go of Zoro all night, but Zoro was finding it hard to be too annoyed with him for it. As he drifted back into a contented sleep once again, a tear trickled down Zoro's cheek, knowing everything was finally going to be okay. He truly was glad to be alive.

* * *

Things changed very rapidly over the next few days. With Luffy's testimony and Teach's death, Ace's case had to be re-evaluated. It turned out the witnesses and alibis Teach had brought forward had all been blackmailed into testifying for Teach. Now that he and his men were gone, they were willing to admit everything was false. Some of Ace's friends were brought in and every one of them made the same assurances, no matter what the argument was about, Ace would never kill one of his friends. The case was in shambles and the court had no choice but to admit that Ace could not have committed the murder.

Exactly one month after the fight in the warehouse, Ace had been brought in to hear the judge's final verdict and Luffy, Sanji and Zoro stood outside the court house waiting to learn his fate. They leaned against Zeff's car outside the courthouse, watching the large oak doors eagerly for any sign of Ace. It had been nearly an hour and Luffy was getting antsy again, pacing back and forth beside the car. Zoro glanced up at him with one open eye, having fallen asleep briefly against the dark car's warm metal. He sighed at the nervous furrow on Luffy's brow.

"Would you quit worrying so much already?" Zoro grunted, throwing a leg out as Luffy passed and causing the younger teen to stumble forward with a yelp. Luffy cast Zoro an annoyed frown but huffed obligingly.

"Yeah, you're right. They wouldn't send him back to jail after all this, right?" He cast Sanji a nervous glance, as if asking for assurance, yet again, that he was right.

"'course they wouldn't," Sanji scoffed, puffing on his cigarette with a board expression. Luffy didn't look so certain.

"But, what if some of Blackbeard's guys are still out there? What if they bring up more fake evidence?"

"It's too late for that," Zoro sneered. "Everything Blackbeard ever told them has been discredited, even if some new evidence against Ace were to show up, no one would believe it now."

That seemed to comfort Luffy somewhat and he stood up straighter, smiling gently as he brought his arms up behind his head leisurely.

"Man, I can't wait to see him again. It's been nearly seven months now!" he said, smiling excitedly.

"Well, you sure will have a lot to catch up on," Sanji chuckled, casting Zoro a mocking sneer. Zoro glared at him unappreciatively.

"You got something to say, Dartboard?" he grunted, leaning towards the chef with his fists clenched. Sanji's sneer grew wider.

"Loads, but I'm saving it for the right audience, it'll be more embarrassing that way."

"I've already told him about Zoro," Luffy interjected just as Zoro was about to make another scathing remark.

Zoro rose an eyebrow in surprise. "What? When?"

"During our phone-call yesterday." Luffy grinned blindingly, giggling up at Zoro. "He's super excited to meet you."

Zoro frowned and was about to open his mouth to make an irritated retort when Sanji suddenly gasped and straightened up off the car. Zoro quickly followed his gaze and Luffy spun around, his eyes wide as he searched the crowded courthouse steps for his brother.

They saw him immediately, standing in the doorway as the lawyers shook his hand and he seemed to be nodding in gratitude before he turned and scanned the crowd.

"ACE!" Luffy bellowed, throwing his arms in the air and waving them so hard everyone in the plaza could see him. His face was beaming so brightly Zoro could have sworn he was creating his own light source. Ace spotted his little brother instantly and matched his grin before leaping down the steps. Luffy did the same and ran to meet him in the middle and within seconds the two brothers collided in what must have been a very strong and possibly painful embrace. Zoro and Sanji cast each other identical smiles of fondness at the heartwarming reunion and followed at a respectful distance.

Luffy was crying as he wrapped his arms around his older brother's neck and blubbered into his shoulder. Ace looked as if he wasn't finding it much easier to hold in the tears and his eyes glistened as his freckled cheeks grew red with emotion. After a few moments of quiet laughter and tears Ace finally pulled Luffy away from him and held him at arm's length so he could look at him. He held Luffy's face in his hands and tousling his hair affectionately.

"I'd never have believed it," Ace muttered, smiling down at Luffy. "My baby brother actually saved me. I'll really have to put aside my pride and say I owe you big time, Lu."

"I hardly did anything," Luffy laughed. He turned and pointed at Zoro and Sanji, drawing Ace's attention to them for the first time. "Sanji's the one who got help and Zoro's the one who took down Blackbeard. I'd be dead if it weren't for them, and you'd still be in jail."

Ace's grin faltered slightly at Luffy's words, but he stepped forward and took Sanji's hand gratefully before turning to Zoro.

"So, you must be the Daemon Hunter Roronoa Zoro I've been hearing so much about," Ace said, holding a hand out to Zoro, who took it and shook with an obliging nod.

"I hope you know not to believe everything you hear on the streets," Zoro scoffed, somewhat embarrassed. Ace's smile twisted in a strange way and Zoro realized it was amusement.

"Oh, I have a pretty reliable source, and he says you've been spending the last few months living with my brother in the form of a dog."

Zoro felt his face turn red and he cast Luffy a scolding glare as the young teen tried to stifle his laughter behind a hand. Zoro would have stayed mad longer if Luffy didn't suddenly throw his arms around all three of them and pull them close, giggling gleefully.

"Come on guys, let's get Ace home so he can have his super awesome welcome home party!"

"That was supposed to be a surprise, Luffy!" Sanji snapped, making Ace laugh. Zoro could only sigh in resignation as everyone finally began to pile into the car. Hopefully now, things could go back to normal, and, Zoro thought, a very different normal at that.

* * *

In the weeks that followed, Zoro moved out of his old neighborhood, wanting to start fresh after everything that had happened. His landlord was surprised to see him alive after so many months but Zoro could tell they were glad to see him go. He moved to an apartment closer to Luffy and Ace. Luffy was disappointed, wanting him to stay with him and Ace indefinitely, but Zoro assured him they would still hang out regularly.

Ace decided to take up a regular job at a mechanic shop down the street from them rather than return to the gang right away. While he missed his friends, he knew it would be better to keep a low profile for a while after all that had happened. Zoro was grateful for it, and with Ace's extra income coming in Luffy was able to have a lot more days off from work again.

Speaking of work. Almost the day after Ace's return Sanji approached Zoro about taking back his old job as bouncer at the restaurant. He claimed the customers were too comfortable with the idea of eating on the patio now and he didn't feel safe without a bouncer to keep an eye on things.

"Don't go thinking this is because I think you're strong or anything," Sanji warned, wagging a finger in Zoro's face. "It's just easier because your name is already on the employee list."

Zoro could have come up with plenty of jibes to contradict this statement, but he was actually very pleased. If he was on the regular pay-list, he wouldn't have to resort back to his old means of income.

No one had been made aware of his transformation yet the first day he returned to work. Luffy and Zoro decided to take full advantage of that fact by pretending absolutely nothing had changed. The two of them strode into the restaurant as if they owned the place, with Luffy grinning and greeting his colleagues and regular customers cheerfully. Zoro, now donning a brand-new uniform to match all the other employees, took his spot in his new bouncer's booth by the door. The looks on everyone's faces was priceless.

"Luffy!" Nami hissed, grabbing the grinning teen by his vest collar as he passed and pulling him towards her over the counter. Her eyes were large and trained on the strange green-haired man in the corner suspiciously. "Who is that?!"

"Huh?" Luffy wrinkled his nose in confusion. "What do you mean, Nami? That's Zoro." He chuckled as if she had told a joke.

"I KNOW that!" she squeaked, her voice rising in pitch fearfully. "That's the Daemon Freaking Hunter, _Roronoa_ Zoro! Where's the DOG Zoro?!"

"Are you okay, Nami?" Luffy lifted a hand and pressed in gently to her forehead as if feeling for her temperature. "Zoro's not a dog. Maybe you need a break. Should I tell Sanji you want to go home?"

"You're asking for a black eye, kid!" Nami growled, shaking Luffy by the collar of his shirt angrily. "I know what a dog looks like and I know what a human looks like, and I can tell you that the Zoro who has been working here for the past few months was definitely a dog. Watch, I'll ask Sanji," Nami turned and cupped a hand to her mouth, calling behind the counter. "Sanji! Get out here!"

Moments later, Sanji twirled out from the kitchen, grinning gleefully. "Yes, Nami Dear? What can I do for you?"

Nami pointed a shaky finger at Zoro, who was pointedly ignoring their conversation so he could watch the doorway for new arrivals. "Who is that man, sitting there where Zoro is supposed to be?" Nami demanded, jutting out her jaw and casting Luffy a you're-about-to-be-ratted-out look. Sanji's grin withered and he cast Zoro a disgusted grimace.

"Unfortunately, my dear Nami, that is the same Zoro who has been working here for months. I know he's an eye sore, perhaps I can move his booth outside?"

"Keep dreaming, Swirly Brow," Zoro grunted, barely audible though he snickered in amusement at Sanji's immediate scowl of reproach. Nami visibly jumped at the sound of his voice as if she had been expecting him to bark instead of speak. She spluttered in confusion, having been discredited by the ever pleasing Sanji, who would never give her a false answer if she demanded the truth.

She continued to demand that they stop joking around and explain already. Luffy just continued to act as if nothing was different, Zoro continued to ignore the fact that he wasn't supposed to be there, and even Sanji gave only frustratingly vague explanations. Even his insults towards the green-haired man sounded no different from the way he talked about the dog. Eventually she was forced to give up. Whether she believed them or not, there was clearly no way she was going to get a clear explanation from them so she may as well accept it.

Naturally everyone else was just as shocked that their large, intimidating, green-haired dog had been replaced by an even larger, more intimidating, green-haired swordsman. Luffy, Sanji and Zoro continued to act as though nothing had changed however, and everyone, employees and customers alike, gradually warmed up to him, just as they had before.

* * *

Zoro was pleased to greet Brook as a human for the first time a few days later. After the expected spluttering of disbelief and questions as to why he was there, Brook, like everyone else accepted Zoro as a fellow employee. Once he was sure the timid musician wasn't going to run away screaming, Zoro took his chance to leave his post and lean against the wall next to Brook as he tuned his guitar near the stage. It took a moment for Brook to notice Zoro, but when he did, he jumped slightly in alarm, his heart-shaped shades bouncing off his face from the force of it.

"Z-Zoro sir, can I help you?" he asked, stuttering slightly nervously as he quickly readjusted his glasses. Zoro gave Brook his friendliest smile, a rare expression on his face, but he genuinely did not want to frighten the man he was so grateful to.

"No, I wanted to thank you for helping me. Luffy told me you were the one who cleaned my swords for me," Zoro explained, leisurely crossing his arms. "You did an excellent job, I doubt even I could have done any better. It really put my mind at ease knowing they were so well taken care of."

Brook's eyes grew wide in surprise, a light blush creeping into his cheeks. "W-well, I'm glad you are pleased with my work, sir. It truly was an honor to work on such legendary swords," he chuckled, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. Zoro waved his hand dismissively.

"Just Zoro is fine, Brook, I'm no one you need to show such respect to," he let out his own reassuring chuckle that seemed to make Brook grow visibly calmer.

"Yohohoho! Now don't go selling yourself short. You are regarded as one of the greatest swordsmen in this city after all. Why, I'm growing flustered just being in the presence of a man of such skill!"

Zoro grinned. "I hear you're quite the swordsman yourself, I'd be honored to challenge you one of these days."

Brook gasped, clutching a hand to his heart. "Yohohoho! You don't know what an honor it is to hear that from you of all people, Zoro sir!"

"The honor is all mine, Brook." Zoro nodded respectfully. "I look forward to our duel."

"As do I, Zoro, as do I! Yohohoho!"

The two of them talked a lot from then on, their mutual interest in swordsmanship leading to conversations about music and Brook's days on the road as a traveling musician and even the curious anomaly that was their colleague and friend, Luffy. They finally got their chance to duel at a staff party Sanji threw at the local park a few weeks later. Brook displayed a level of grace and speed with his fencing cane that Zoro couldn't help but admire, even if Zoro was considerably stronger and more skilled than he was. It was one of the most enjoyable fights Zoro had ever had, and hopefully wouldn't be his last.

* * *

The only person who got the full explanation of Zoro's transformation was Usopp. It had been a few weeks already since Zoro had become human, and Usopp had been inquiring as to Zoro's whereabouts to Luffy on their way to work after school, claiming that Chopper missed him at work.

"Oh, Zoro starting work again a few days ago," Luffy explained casually, not even looking up as he kicked at a can. "He's been taking time off to get settled into his new apartment and get used to being a human again."

Usopp nodded in understanding and didn't respond for a full five seconds before Luffy's words registered. "Wait, what?" Usopp's question was a bark of disbelief as he suddenly turned to Luffy in confusion. "Did you just say he's getting used to being human again?"

"Hmm?" Luffy turned to him, his eyes wide and innocent. "Yeah, that's what I said. He turned back into a human a few weeks ago, after he broke the curse. He needed some time off because he wasn't used to being human after spending so much time as a dog." Luffy chuckled as he thought of Zoro's first days recovering. "You should have seen him, Usopp. Every time he got up off the couch or his bed he always went to walk on all fours before he remembered he was supposed to walk on two legs now. Sometimes he still waits by the door for me to open it too, like he forgot he has hands now. Oh yeah! And yesterday he was sitting on the floor cleaning his swords and I came up behind him as if I was going to step on his tail and he actually yelped and jumped away. It was hilarious! I swear he growled at me, but he says he was just grumbling."

Usopp looked perplexed, his brows furrowed and his lips pursed as he listened to Luffy's stories. He was clearly trying to determine whether Luffy was joking or not. It was a well-known fact that Luffy couldn't lie to save his life however, and the amount of detail and sincerity in Luffy's story was disconcerting.

"Y-you aren't actually saying that Zoro the dog has turned into a human, are you?" Usopp asked with a half chuckle, hoping his gullible nature wasn't causing him to fall for one of Luffy's lame tricks. Luffy nodded, innocently ignoring his friend's justified confusion. "You realize how crazy that sounds, right? I mean, I know you said Zoro reminded you of that scary guy, Roronoa Zoro, but do you mean to tell me that they're, like, the same person?"

Usopp's voice was getting louder and his laugh shakier as he spoke. Luffy cast him a bewildered expression.

"It makes perfect sense to me," Luffy stated, shrugging unconcernedly. "Why else would there be a huge, green-haired monster of a dog that could understand human speech, unless he was actually a human turned into a dog?"

Usopp didn't seem to have an immediate response to that and his jaw actually audibly snapped shut.

"S-so… you're saying that the man famous for slicing people up… was transformed into a dog… and has been following us around for the past few months… living in your apartment… picking you up from school… and working in a restaurant?"

"Pretty much," Luffy nodded. Usopp took a shaky breath and shook his head, turning back to watch the road as they continued walking.

"This has got to be the craziest prank you've ever pulled on me, Luffy. I'd better not see Roronoa Zoro sitting in dog Zoro's booth when we get to work."

"Well, he started work at noon, so I guess you could close your eyes if you really don't want to see him," Luffy shrugged.

True to his word, as the two boys turned the corner and spotted the restaurant up the street from them, a well-muscled, green-haired man was sitting lazily in a chair by the large patio doors. His eyes were closed as he basked in the rare autumn sun, apparently asleep, but the hand resting against the hilts of the three swords at his waist flexed every few seconds, indicating that the swordsman was very aware of his surroundings.

Usopp halted in his tracks a few feet from the patio gate, a high squeak of fear escaping his clenched teeth.

"L-Luffy!" Usopp grabbed Luffy by his arm just as Luffy had been reaching to step through the gate. "T-that's… That's… _Roronoa Zoro_!" Usopp stammered, turning Luffy to shake his shoulders furiously.

"I know!" Luffy grinned, turning his head to face Zoro. "Hey, Zoro!" Usopp hissed a quick plea for Luffy to be quiet, but Zoro had already snapped an eye open and was peering at them with a tired frown.

"Oh, hey Luffy, Usopp," Zoro grunted, lazily lifting a hand to rub his eyes and straightening up in his seat. Usopp looked like he was just about ready to turn and run when an excited yip of glee made him nearly jump out of his skin. Chopper dashed out from behind Usopp's legs and wriggled through the gate before Usopp could catch him.

Zoro saw the puppy coming and lifted a curious eye brow. He had gotten used to people's reactions of fear, shock, and gradual acceptance over the past few weeks, but how would Chopper react to his new body? Chopper ran across the patio towards Zoro until he was almost at his feet before finally seeming to register Zoro's appearance. The small dog skidded to a stop, his claws audibly scrapping against the cobbles. For a moment, there was absolute silence as Zoro, Luffy and Usopp unconsciously held their breath in anticipation. Chopper stared at Zoro for what felt like a long time, tilting his head back and forth and sniffing fiercely. Usopp whimpered nervously beside Luffy at the gate, still clutching Luffy's arm as if afraid for his dog's life. Finally, Chopper's mouth dropped open in a friendly grin and his rump wiggled to compensate for his stubby tail.

"Guard friend!" Chopper yipped. Zoro's eyes went wide in surprise and he leaned forward in his seat.

"What is it Zoro?" Luffy asked, noticing the look as he pried his arm free of Usopp's grip and finally stepped onto the patio to join them.

"I… I can still understand him," Zoro muttered, leaning down to stroke the small brown dog.

"Y-you can… understand Chopper?!" Usopp gasped, his expression of fear morphing into an involuntary grin of amazement. Luffy's grin was even wider, spreading across his face up to his eyes as if he had expected such a thing all along.

"Shishishi! What's he saying? How does he feel about your new look?" Luffy giggled.

Zoro scoffed and shook his head. "He just recognizes my smell."

Chopper yipped and bounded around Zoro gleefully. "Chopper guard while friend gone! Chopper strong, Chopper chase away bad people!"

Zoro chuckled, "Yeah, I bet you did. Keep up the good work, Pup, I'm still counting on you." Chopper halted in his pouncing to grin bashfully, wriggling with glee at his praise.

"S-so…" Usopp had finally stepped onto he patio after Luffy, wringing his hands nervously as he drew closer to Zoro, but kept Luffy safely between them. "Are you… are you really, _that_ Zoro? The one who… was a dog before?"

Zoro sighed and cast an exasperated glance up at Luffy, knowing he had probably already explained things to their nervous friend by then. "Yes, Usopp, I am the same Zoro who was a dog before. I know it sounds crazy but stuff happened and I'm human again. I assure you though, I'm still the same person on the inside, you don't have to be scared of me."

"No?" Usopp released a shaky sigh of relief, and his shoulder's visibly relaxed. "Oh, well, I wasn't really scared to begin with. The whole thing is just a bit absurd, you know? I just had to make sure you weren't some crazy psychopath trying to dupe Luffy. If you had been, I totally could have handled you, but since Chopper says you're okay I guess I'll believe you, for now."

Luffy chuckled and wrapped his long, gangly arms around his friend's shoulders in a chummy hug. "I knew you'd be cool about it all, Usopp. That's why I knew I could tell you who Zoro was!" He turned to Zoro grinning excitedly. "You should tell him how it all happened, Zoro, it's such a cool story!"

"I think I'll let you handle that part, Luffy," Zoro sighed with a resigned smile, absentmindedly brushing a hand over Chopper's fuzzy ears.

"Okay!" Luffy agreed, and before Usopp could argue, Luffy had plopped him down at one of the tables and began telling Usopp a very embellished version of Zoro's story. By the end of it, Usopp had heard more story than there was to tell and had fully embraced the idea that Zoro was in fact the dog that he had come to trust after all this time.

Zoro was surprisingly relieved. Unlike some of their more down-to-earth friends, like Nami and Brook, Usopp's child-like innocence and naivety made it easy for the long-nosed teen to accept these sorts of things. While Sanji liked to hang the embarrassing curse over him, Usopp was enthralled by it, and like Luffy, didn't seem to think badly of Zoro for it.

From then on, the four of them were able to work as if nothing had changed between them. Even Chopper joined Zoro for his shifts, protecting the restaurant from would-be trouble-makers and keeping the customers and employees safe. He was surprisingly good at guarding. Zoro guessed it was largely due to his own training, but he found he genuinely depended on Chopper's heightened senses to alert him to suspicious people on the job. It was the one thing Zoro missed most about being a dog. Aside from his vision, everything seemed so dull in comparison.

His ability to understand Chopper gradually degraded over time as well. Soon Zoro was barely able to understand more than a few words even though Chopper was very chatty. Despite the language barrier, Zoro's instincts were still strong enough that he was usually able to get the gist of what the little dog was trying to say. His instincts had dulled and no longer drove him with that almost uncontrollable force that had kept him alive all those months, but even before his curse Zoro had possessed unusually strong instincts. Regardless, as strange it was to be adjusting to human senses again, Zoro was finally able to see a brighter future as a human.

Gradually, with great patients and the support of his friends, Zoro settled back into his new life as a human. In almost every area, he was a completely different person. He no longer roamed the streets looking for fights, terrorizing outclassed teenagers and thugs, stealing for his next meal, living day to day with no purpose except to become stronger. That wasn't to say he didn't have the occasional skirmish with overconfident thugs from time to time, but Zoro made sure to give them a lesson they could walk away from. After all, he had to teach all the local gangs the new rules of the neighborhood. Daemon Hunter Roronoa Zoro was no longer going to tolerate the muggings and murders that had plagued the streets during his absence, and he made sure everyone knew it. If they didn't, he'd teach them, on the blunt end of his blades. Even the city authorities had noticed the change in street gang activities judging by the latest headlines 'Crime Rate Dropping: City Breathes a Sigh of Relief'.

Things were finally looking up.

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A/N

So, there you have it, the final chapter. I do have an epilogue written up, it just needs a few tweaks and details added to it before I can post it but it should wrap things up nicely and make the story parallel with the OP series a bit more.

I hope things weren't too choppy with all the breaks between each character's reaction to Zoro. I did a lot of cutting and pasting in this chapter trying to move various scenes and paragraphs around so that they flowed nicely. I hate writing concluding paragraphs too. It's always so hard for me to wrap up everything that's been said in one cohesive paragraph so that it seems final.

Let me know what you think. Please keep reviewing, and thanks to everyone who's been favoriting and following.


	15. Chapter 15: Epilogue

Hello everyone! So, finally I have the epilogue done. It's not really necessary for the story but I just felt like it needed a bit of wrapping up before I could be truly finished. Sorry for the long update wait, I won't bother making excuses this time.

Well, I hope this was worth the wait. I don't own one Piece. And, enjoy!

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Chapter 15: Epilogue

With all the dealings with Kitsunes and murderous gangs and transforming swordsmen, winter passed in the city before anyone even knew it. Once Zoro was human again and settling into his new life with all his new friends, spring seemed to pass just as quickly.

Zoro spent almost every evening hanging out with Luffy at his and Ace's apartment after school, often with at least one other friend as well. His apartment was really more of a way to give Ace and Luffy space after spending so much time apart but he felt much more at home hanging out with Luffy than being alone. While he wasn't surprised by this fact, he did find it disturbing to think that if it weren't for the Kitsune turning him into a dog he could have spent his whole life completely alone and he wouldn't have cared. He couldn't imagine being alone now, not with all the new friends he had made.

Zoro was finally getting used to things, but the end of spring was soon to bring more changes he would have to get used to, namely Luffy's graduation. Zoro was honored to be involved in the celebrations, he had never been to a school graduation before. Ace was amusingly emotional as he watched his baby brother walk across the gymnasium in his cap and gown. He was clearly struggling to hold back the tears when Luffy received his diploma and went to sit next to Usopp on the stage. Like Zoro, Ace had never finished school and so Zoro guessed Luffy's grad was the first he'd been to as well.

Zoro looked down the row of seats and saw everyone else cheering and wiping away tears of pride; Nami holding Chopper in her lap, Kaya, Sanji, Brook, and even some of Luffy's teachers, Miss Nico and Mr. Franky. This was a milestone, a marker that Luffy was becoming a man. Zoro had had to grow up quickly on the streets and he had to admit he hadn't felt like a kid in many years, but Luffy was doing it the right way. Luffy was growing up before their eyes and it was surprisingly upsetting.

After the ceremony, Zoro, Ace, Sanji, Nami, Brook, and the two teachers all stood by the door and waited for Luffy and Usopp. Zoro had to choke down a lump of pride when he spotted Luffy and Usopp running up to them, still in their gowns. Luffy's face was all teeth and glowing cheeks.

"You guys, I have an announcement," Luffy declared, lifting his chin with his hands on his hips. "I'm going on a trip!"

"What?!" several startled voices exclaimed.

"Oh no you're not!" Ace growled, crossing his arms. "You're going to college so you can make an honest living."

"Nope." Luffy mimicked Ace's crossed arms, his face set in a determined frown. "I'm not. I'm taking a few years off to travel the world and see things."

"But Luffy," Nami wined, "how are you going to pay for a trip like that? Do you realize how expensive traveling is?"

"I've got a bit of savings," Luffy assured her. "And when it runs out, I'll just make more money on the road. I don't care how, but I'll make due."

"I would be dangerous," Miss Nico noted, raising a cautionary eyebrow. "You could be robbed by bandits on the road, or kidnapped, or even murdered."

"Ow! Why you got'a be so grim, Robin?" Mr. Franky chuckled.

"You're not exactly thinking ahead, Luffy," Sanji drawled, fidgeting with his suit front pocket where he kept his cigarettes even though he wasn't allowed to smoke in the gym.

"Y-yeah," Usopp agreed, wringing his hands nervously. "Do you even know where you'll be going?"

"Nope," Luffy stated, grinning as if it was the best thing in the world. "It's gon'a be awesome.

"Sounds fun," Zoro said, earning glares of disapproval from everyone else. "That's an awful long way to go on your own though, won't you get lonely?"

Luffy looked thoughtful for the first time as though this hadn't occurred to him. Zoro heard breaths of relief from Ace and Nami especially.

"You're right, Zoro," Luffy nodded, then cast him a disturbingly bright grin. "Why don't you come with me then?"

"W-what?!" Zoro startled, his eyes going wide before he could stop himself.

"Actually," Luffy continued, his own eyes widening as if a great idea had occurred to him and he turned to the others. "Why don't all of you come?"

"Absolutely not!" Nami screeched.

"And leave the restaurant?" Sanji scoffed.

"Yohohoho! That's would be an awfully big commitment!" Brook chuckled nervously.

"Th-there's no way I could possibly leave Chopper for that long," Usopp stammered.

"That's not exactly a decision to make lightly," Miss Nico hummed.

"You're telling me, Sis!" Mr. Franky agreed.

Zoro listened to the conversation in stunned silence as Luffy continued to make his case as to why each of them should join him. He was surprised to find himself growing more and more comfortable with the idea. He literally had no reason to say no, he realized. He could live on next to no income, he'd been doing it his whole life. He had no family ties to keep him there and his job at the restaurant was casual if not completely unnecessary anymore due to the decreased crime rate. Zoro was therefore unsurprised when he reentered the conversation to find that Nami, Usopp, Sanji, and even Brook had all agreed to join him.

Usopp agreed once Luffy assured him that Chopper could come. Like Luffy he didn't really have any after graduation plans and the thought of adventure was tempting. Nami was tempted by the thought of seeing new places, her eyes sparkling as Luffy described the amazing cities they would visit with shopping, casinos, spas and resorts. Sanji perked up at the mention of all the different foods they would get to try, exploring dishes from different countries and cultures. Brook agreed once he realized that traveling as a musician on the road would be a great way to share his music and could actually be a good source of money to fund their travels.

Luffy was still hugging Usopp around the neck when he turned to Mr. Franky and Miss Nico. "What about you two?"

"Weeeelll," Mr. Franky scratched his chin thoughtfully for a moment and cast his colleague a considering glance. "Seeing as I've DECIDED to take the next semester off, I was actually considering going on a trip."

"You got suspended for not wearing pants again, didn't you?" Usopp deadpanned. Mr. Franky's face turned bright pink but he struck up a manly pose and laughed jovially.

"Yow, who needs pants when you got Super legs like mine?"

"I wouldn't make you wear pants if you went with us," Luffy offered, grinning coyly.

"Deal!" Mr. Franky agreed, taking Luffy's hand and shaking it.

Miss Nico smiled warmly at them, her expression playful. "I always did enjoy the idea of an extended field trip with my students. Maybe I will join you for a couple months, just to see what options are available."

Luffy was almost wriggling with glee now, bouncing from foot to foot as he glanced from person to person as he turned to Zoro at last. "What about you, Zoro?"

Zoro could only shrug. "Don't see why not," he decided with little hesitation. He'd pretty much decided the moment Luffy brought the idea up. Luffy cheered and threw his arms around him in a huge hug.

With only person left to decide, Luffy finally turned to Ace, his eyes bright and pleading. Ace was silent, staring thoughtfully at his little brother for several seconds before speaking.

"It's not exactly good timing for me, Lu," he admitted, making Luffy's face fall, but Ace held up a hand and shook his head to let him continue without interruption. "I can see you really want to do this though. To be honest I'm actually super excited for you now that I know you won't be alone. But I've been gone for almost a year now, and the gang's been needing help with some pretty tough competition lately. I think it's time I get back to the streets."

"So, you won't come?" Luffy whimpered, his lip jutting out in a pout. Ace cast him a comforting smile and shook his head.

"Naw, traveling's not for me, little bro. But I want you to go. You kept your end of the deal and finished school, now I'll keep mine and let you go on your own adventures."

Luffy sighed dejectedly but he couldn't help the grateful grin as he lunged forward and hugged his older brother around the middle.

"You're the best big brother in the whole world."

Ace's cheeks burned bright red and he cast the smiling group a bashful sneer.

Things went surprisingly fast from there. Zeff returned as the head chef and manager for the restaurant so Sanji could leave. Sanji pretended he wasn't excited, but nearly every time they met to discuss the trip he mentioned a new restaurant he wanted to visit or food he wanted to try.

Nami took charge of planning the trip, determined to hit every dot on the map so it could be a true world adventure. Miss Nico helped, pointing out sights that held historical interest. She was gifted at finding loopholes in tour plans and travel agencies to get them the best deals for the least money which Nami appreciated immensely.

Usopp sold his mother's house much to everyone's surprise, getting enough to cover most of the major costs and putting some in savings so he could afford to rent when they got back. In the meantime, he was preparing Chopper for travel, getting all his shots and licensing and buying him a new travel crate.

Mr. Franky was putting together a mini-bus for them to drive. It wasn't surprising to anyone that he had his own garage with just the right spare parts to put the custom vehicle together. It was finished within a week, he even gave it a new paint job, with vibrant red, yellow and white and a picture of a sunny lion on the front bumper. He called it the Thousand Sunny because it was going to take them to a thousand places.

Brook was busily writing a new set of songs to go with their travels. He wanted to perform his songs along the way to make some extra cash as well as tell the world of all the adventures they had. His aim was to write a new song for every adventure so he could compile it into the great Straw Hat adventure album.

Yes, that was what Luffy decided their name would be; The Straw Hat Gang. Since he was the one who had gotten them all together for the trip in the first place he decided he had full rights to name their group. While Nami claimed calling themselves a gang may not be in good taste, Luffy's idea of a gang clearly didn't match the standard definition they were used to judging by the activities he had planned. Luckily no one really minded.

Luffy would have been happy to leave the day after his graduation, but he waited to make sure his friends were ready, too excited to be traveling with them at all to mind waiting a few more weeks. Zoro contained his excitement best by training for hours a day. There wasn't much he needed to bring and all the major details were being handled by other people. As long as he was traveling with Luffy, Zoro couldn't care less about anything else. Training kept his mind and body preoccupied, though, and Zoro knew that despite all their planning they were bound to get into all kinds of dangerous situations, especially with Luffy leading them. He would prepare himself for whatever they came across and be there to protect his friends. That was the whole reason he was alive after all.

When the big day finally came for them to leave, Franky pulled up in the gleaming new Thousand Sunny to pick Zoro and Luffy up. Brook, Nami and Usopp were shoved into the back seat with Chopper's crate door positioned between their headrests so he could see out the front window. Miss Nico, who insisted they all call her Robin for the remainder of their acquaintance since none of them were her students anymore, was sitting in the front seat next to Franky. Sanji was already against the window of the middle row and he cast Zoro a grouchy frown when he realized they would be sharing a seat. Zoro rolled his eyes, he could take the second window seat and have Luffy between them, but he knew asking the boy to give up the view would be a fruitless effort. With a sigh, he tossed his simple cloth bag under his seat and slid in beside Sanji.

"You ready, Zoro?" Luffy asked, sliding into the seat beside Zoro and slamming the sliding door shut. Zoro grinned at him.

"If you are," he replied, chuckling lightly.

"Alright then!" Luffy shouted throwing his arms in the air. "Let's go everyone, for our first adventure!"

"YEAH!" Everyone shouted.

Zoro was still grinning as Franky turned the key and they finally started on their way, with Brook leading in a celebratory round of road trip music.

The end

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A/N

THE END! You have no idea how good it feels to say that! A big amount of the credit goes out to all of you who have been reading and favoriting and reviewing because you've helped me finish my first story since I was ten. I've had a lot of stories started since then but I just can't seem to gain enough steam to finish anything, so I feel really accomplished right now. Thank you all.

I hope this epilogue was final enough for you. I know I've mentioned that I hate writing endings, they never seem final enough for me. Maybe all the allusions to the One Piece story can fill in the gaps.

Anyway, I'm not going to label this story as complete just yet because I do still want to add those bonus chapters I mentioned, but don't expect any updates for a while. The story itself is complete though, so I hope you all enjoyed it and thanks again. It'd be awesome to read some reviews!


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